Air and Water
by Jedi Alex Colbent
Summary: My own story slightly based off of TealTerror's idea, but done differently. An unexpected event changes not only the lives of 4 young children, but the fate of the entire world... Pairings: Kataang, Azula and my OC.
1. Prologue: Lightning Strike

**This is an Avatar Fanfic I thought of after reading one written by TealTerror. It's loosley based off of his/her idea but with my own twist on the story line and plot flow of the... oh for gods sakes! Just read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or any of the characters mentioned except for OC's I created.**

**Enjoy and please don't sue me!**

**Avatar**

**Book 1: Air and Water**

Prologue

Lightning Strike

_**Edited**_

Aang flies desperately away from the Southern Air Temple, the place he had called home all his life, where he made many friends and had dozens of memorable experiences which he cherished forever.

But all that changed when he learned the fate that was placed before him.

Ever since he was revealed as the next Avatar, his life had changed forever, and not in the way he wanted.

He felt it as a great burden being the sole protector of the world, being forced to step in when danger rose and let go of everything he ever cared about.

That was what he feared when he had learned of the monks plan to send him to the Eastern Air Temple, and away from Monk Gyatso, the one person who understood him and loved him like a father.

After learning this, he mounted his flying bison Appa and flew away from his home.

He didn't know where he would go to or what he would do after he reached there, all he wanted was to get away.

With tears running down his face, Aang and his companion flew heedlessly into the skies.

Suddenly, the earsplitting sound of a lightning bolt snaps him back to reality.

Aang then realizes he had flown Appa and him directly into the eye of a thunderstorm!

He frantically attempts to fly out of the storm, but is blinded by the furious wind and rain.

But as he manages to open his eyes, a stray lightning bolt bursts from the clouds, striking him directly in the heart!

His hands begin lossen from the reins as he slowly looses conciseness and falls toward the ocean. Appa then attempts to dive downward and save his best friend.

Both plummet into the ocean depths running out of time before the deadly tides claim them both.

As they begin to sink toward the sea floor, a bright blue glow begins to shine.

**End of prologue. Sorry I'm not updating a lot of my other books. Ive been busy with real life concerns like school, work and making sure I don't die alone... not sure why I just said that. Anyways, Ch 1 will flash foward a hundred years during Ozai's reign as Firelord. Also, keep a lookout for Ch 5 of Out of the Blue and Ch 4 of Team Lyoko. Later!**


	2. Chapter 1: 100 Years Later

Chapter 1

100 Years Later

The 15 year old Fire Nation princess Azula sat on her bed in her royal quarters.

She was reading up on Fire Nation War history at the request of her father, Firelord Ozai.

She didn't mind it in the least, seeing it would help provide military strategic information to prepare her further for when **she **would take her father's place.

Part of her doubted whether or not she would be ready when the time comes, but she knew one thing: "_I'd still be a better Firelord then Zuko would ever be_" she thought to herself.

She had always disliked her brother not just for lacking the "abilities and qualities" needed to be Firelord, but also for being liked far more by their mother.

She had always believed that her own mother had seen her as a monster.

And based on her "track record", it wasn't hard to see why.

She had a well known reputation of being cold, calculating and unmerciful towards anybody that showed disloyalty or weakness.

Yet despite all that, she still wished her mother had loved her the way she loved her brother.

She then pushes the subject out of her mind by refocusing on her studies.

About 98 years before her birth, her Great Grandfather Firelord Sozin had begun the great war that continued even into her generation.

After the death of Fire Nation Avatar Roku, the timing was practically foolproof to begin the war.

Sozin knew that the next Avatar would be born an Air Nomad, so using the Fire Bending enhanced power brought to him by the Great Comet, now known as Sozin's Comet, he launched a full scale assault against the Air Temples in an attempt to kill the Avatar.

He had also chose to attack 4 years earlier then when he/she would begin training.

That combined with the fact that the Air Nomads were a peaceful and non-violent society made it the perfect military assault.

Yet despite this great victory, he still believed the Avatar escaped destruction.

He spent the remainder of his life searching in vain for him/her.

About 20 years after the Air Nomad Genocide, Sozin's fear was officially put to rest when news had traveled to Sozin's son and now Firelord Azulon's ears that a new Avatar existed, a Northern Water Bender by the name of Tsuna.

What made Azulon even more furious was that no one in the entire Fire Nation learned of her existance until 4 years **after** she began her training, by which time she had already mastered Water Bending and Earth Bending.

Azulon then officially declared Tsuna a threat that needed to be put down immediately.

In order to do this, he had sent General Shu and his apprentice Lieutenant Zhao who were stationed at a small town in the Si Wong Desert to intercept her.

At one point, Zhao was separated from his commanding officer by an intense sandstorm.

When it had ceased, he found himself at the foot of an immense and luxurious building with numerous towers and circular domes.

Upon entering the structure, it was said he was greeted by a giant owl spirit named Wa Shi Tong: He who knows 10000 things.

He had told him this compound he found himself in was a library he transported from the spirit world in order for humanity to use it to better themselves.

But he had also warned Zhao not to misuse the knowledge he gained here for violence or destruction or face a terrible punishment by his hands, (So to speak).

Untruthfully, Zhao promised this, and began searching through the library's vast collection.

He had also began to wonder if the Avatar had found her way here.

Then it hit him!

She did! She must have purposely went seeking the library not only to learn Firebending, but to find secrets on to how to defeat the Fire Nation.

While searching around for her, he had discover a room with the Water Tribe symbol engraved on the front doors.

Curious as to what lay inside, he opened the doors to discover the room littered with shelf after shelf of scrolls.

He had spent what felt like days searching through every scroll he could get his hands on for valuable information, but to no avail.

After checking one last scroll, he discovers something he could use: the identity of the Moon and Ocean spirits. Although he could not make out exactly where they were located as the writing became blurred over the years, he felt he knew and set out to find General Shu to inform him.

On his way out of the room, he then comes face to face with none other than Avatar Tsuna.

Upon seeing her, he immediately interrogates her on whether or not she learned Firebending or any Fire Nation secrets.

She calmly replies "Either you think I'll actually tell you, or you're just that foolish and naive."

Enraged by this, Zhao chases her through the library, burning everything in his path.

On the way, he notices an open room containing valuable information on the Fire Nation including one piece of parchment reading "The darkest day in Fire Nation history."

His mind then clicks upon reading this.

He then summons a medium sized fireball in his hands and tosses into the room burning everything on sight.

He then continues his chase after Tsuna.

Before Tsuna could escape through the front door, Zhao ignited a ring of fire around her cutting her off.

She responded by creating spear-like icicles on all 10 of her fingers and hurling them at Zhao.

He then creates a whip fire to melt the projectiles and begins to hurl it at Tsuna.

But to his surprise, she grabs it with her hands, yanks it from his and hurls it back in the form of a gigantic fireball!

Zhao caught off guard is it head on and is knocked back a fair distance.

Impossible! She managed to learn Firebending that quickly?

Zhao then prepares to use his only tactic left to take her down.

Suddenly, the fire is blown away as Wa Shi Tong comes in flapping his giant wings.

He then angerly yells at Zhao not only for breaking his word, but for attempting murder in his library.

Zhao then responds by saying "The Fire Nation answers to nobody! Not even the Spirit World."

Wa Shi Tong the prepares to face Zhao.

Just then, a wicked smile befalls his face.

Then as he motions his hands around his body, lightning begins to crackle around his arms reaching up to his hands, given Wa Shi Tong a look of great concern.

But suddenly, he swiftly turns around and fires at an unsuspecting Tsuna!

A large crack of thunder echos around the library!

Tsuna simply stands still, her eyes beginning to close as the world around her begins to fade.

She then falls to the ground and moves no more.

In the midst of the shock, Zhao then bolts toward the front door and heads out the library, leaving Wa Shi Tong to grieve over the death of the fallen Avatar.

Many things were racing through Zhao's mind as he sprints aimlessly through the desert.

He, a lowly lieutenant had successfully killed the Avatar and found the secret to destroying the Water Tribe!

But at the same time, he remembered his orders to capture her **alive** to be dealt with personally by the Firelord.

He then believes that she was too much of a threat to be left alive, and would be left vulnerable when she was reincarnated again.

He then manages to find General Shu and tell him of what had happened.

When they return back to the Fire Nation capitol, Firelord Azulon himself commends Zhao for his great accomplishment of slaying the Avatar and promotes him with great honors to Grand Captain of the Fire Navy Fleet.

Unfortunately, this did not signify the complete end of the war.

Azulon knew that the Avatar would return, this time as an Earthbender.

So for 30 long and endless years, he had sent spy after spy patrolling the towns and cities of the Earth Kingdom in search for the new Avatar.

Finally, a spy held up in the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu sent a report of a 30 year old citizen... **Firebending**!

Later reports confirmed this man as Prince Bumi Jr, son of the famed and ancient King Bumi Sr.

A blockade of Fire Army troops, tanks and cannons battled the ever enduring army of Omashu for what seemed like a lifetime.

King Bumi had asked his son not to participate in the battle as they would risk the only hope they had in the long run of the war.

For a long time, Bumi Jr had reluctantly obeyed his fathers wish, until a Fire Army Commander had threatened to harm a young Omashu boy if he did not surrender to them.

Bumi Jr then met with the Commander and his forces near the gates of Omashu and he as promised, handed over the boy to him.

At first, things seemed to be going smoothly, but out of the corner of his eye, Bumi Jr saw a "nearly" hidden Yu Yan Archer about to fire a bow!

Bumi Jr had only a split second to push the boy out of the way with his Earthbending before the bow pierced through him.

At first it stung with excruciating pain, but then, he began to feel dizzy and faint as everything around him faded away.

Bumi Jr had fallen to the ground, and was dead.

Surprisingly, The Army instead of continuing the attack on Omashu, fell back from battle and left the city to morn for yet another young Avatar killed at the hands of the Fire Nation.

Azula then closed the book she read after finishing this last passage.

This was all the history that had been written so far.

Yet it couldn't have ended there.

Shouldn't there be something about the next Avatar's reincarnation?

Unsatisfied with this, she left her room and took a walk outside the palace near the cliffs facing the shores of her home.

Azula tried to piece it together.

"_Everybody knows, or __**should**__ know that the next Avatar would be a Firebender" _Azula thought to herself. _"Yet why didn't they state that in the history books?" "Unless..."_

Azula was cut off from her thoughts when she suddenly realized that she wasn't focusing on where she was walking and now was less then 2 inches from falling off a cliff!

She frantically tried balance herself away from the edge, but she still felt herself begin to tip over.

She suddenly lost all balance and begin fall off the edge.

Overwhelmed by fear and panic, she despreatley closed her eyes and waited for it to be over.

A few seconds passed, and Azula wondered why she felt like nothing happened.

She fearfully opens her eyes and begins to look around.

She still felt like she was alive, and nothing around her seem to change.

She then looks downward and receives the biggest shock of her life.

She was found herself lying on large stone slab protruding out from the side of the cliff.

"_What the hell just happened?"_ she began to think to herself. _"One minute I was falling, next I'm lying on this big piece of rock?" "Wait... was that rock here before I fell down."_

She began to feel extremely confused as to just what was going on.

Just then, it suddenly clicked in her mind as to what just happened.

She had stopped herself from falling as she wanted,

she was born a week after Avatar Bumi Jr's death,

and the one thing that made it certain above all others... was that fact that she was always considered a Firebending prodigy.

"No..."

she began to shout in fear, more fear then she had ever felt in her entire life.

"No, No, NO!"

She then quickly lifted herself up from where she lay back onto the cliff side and frantically and fearfully ran back to the palace, breathing heavily and fearfully all the way.

She was so scared at the moment, she failed to notice a lone Fire Nation scout hiding in the branches of a tree not far from where she was.

* * *

Firelord Ozai sat in the royal throne room complete flabbergasted at what his scout had just informed him.

"My daughter..." He began to say in both surprise and anger.

"My own pride and joy, the one person I ever chose to succeed me as Firelord... turns out to be THE AVATAR?"

He then slams his fist to the ground in pure anger and rage erupting enormous flames all around him.

"With all due respect my lord..." the scout fearfully says. "Why not just **use** the Avatar to our advantage? With Azula mastering all 4 elements, we would win the war once and for all."

"You fool!" Ozai responds. "The Avatar does not just belong to any 1 nation, his, or in this case **her**, sole duty is to protect the so called "balance" of the worlds nations. When push comes to shove, the Avatar will always step in to "save the world."

The room is silent for a moment.

"And even if we attempted to do this, she would soon realize the destiny she's bound for is the ultimate choice."

"Um, pardon me sir, but that didn't quite make sense." the scout points out.

"Yes I realize this. Point is: We can't attempt to use Azula in the war because no Avatar in history has never denied this destiny and never will."

"Then what is the plan my lord?"

"We move while we have the advantage. We lock her in the darkest prison cell there is on this island, and we let her suffer the rest of her existance. And when she finally dies, there will be no one for her to be reincarnated into. The Avatar... will at last... die forever."

Unbeknownst to Ozai and the scout, a single seemingly ordinary Fire Nation soldier who over hears the entire conversation hiding behind one of the pillars in the throne room quietly exits throne room to deliver this news to a leader of his own...

* * *

General Iroh pleasantly takes a sip of his cup of Jasmine Tea, his mind at peace as he feels the warm and soothing liquid run down his throat.

He along with his nephew, Prince Zuko and the rest of the crew were sailing their small Fire Nation warship off the coast of Fire Fountain City to restock on supplies and food for the crew.

Zuko and a couple of soldiers hag gone into town to do so, leaving Iroh alone on the deck of the ship.

"_It's been almost three years since the day he was banished."_ Iroh thought to himself with disappointment.

_"Burned by his own father, my baby brother. But why can't he see that what's he doing, what he's after... is just not worth it in the end? The man Ozai wants him to __be... he'll never be like that. He deserves so much more than this."_

Just then, a lone soldier appears from the door out of the hold with a scroll in his hand.

"General Iroh," the scout says. "Urgent message from Agent Lee at the Fire Nation Royal Palace."

Iroh's head jerks upon hearing this.

It must have been extremely important if one of the 12 spies from The Order of the White Lotus stationed at the Palace sent it.

Iroh immediately took the scroll and quickly read the message it contained.

His eyes then widened greatly with both shock and confusion.

"No..." He said to no one in particular. "This is impossible."

"What is it General?" the soldier asks.

"Lee's note says that he's discovered the identity of the next Avatar."

"The one born in the Fire Nation?"

"Indeed, yes."

"Who is it?" the soldier asks curiously.

Iroh remains quiet for a few seconds.

"It.. it can't be right though. It's just not possible. He must have misheard or something."

"Please General. Tell me what he wrote."

Iroh then prepares to say the last thing he had ever expected to say out loud.

"His note says that the new Avatar... is Princess Azula."

The soldiers eyes widen (well technically, he's wearing a helmet, so you can't really tell, but you get it.) with surprise upon hearing these words.

"But.. how?"

"I have no clue at all." Iroh begins. "Azula is the absolute last person I would expect to be our savior from this war. Yet somehow I blame myself for not knowing sooner. She was always, even at a very young age a Firebending prodigy. But that is irrelevant right now. Lee's note also says that her father has been informed of this as well and plans to have her imprisoned."

"Then what's our course of action, sir?"

"What choice do we have, Captain Koh? Send a message back to Lee to prepare all White Lotus soldiers in the surrounding areas for a surprise assault. We're going to free Azula before it's too late."

"What about you?" Captain Koh asks the General.

"I will be joining them on the mission to the capitol. Azula and I have had our differences, but she is still my niece and like Zuko, is my responsibility."

"But sir, the Royal Palace is hundreds of miles from here. How do you plan to make it in time?"

"Do not worry about me, Captain. I have my ways. Just deliver the message."

"Yes, General." Koh says as he leaves to do so.

Iroh then stands up from his position and makes a loud whistling noise with his fingers to his mouth.

Just then, a large winged lizard called a Dragonfly soars above the surrounding cliffs and gracefully lands on the deck of the ship.

"Looks like we're back in action, Zang." Iroh says petting his partners head as he mounts himself on his back.

They both lift off the ship with incredible speed and power and fly off into the distance racing to reach their destination before it's too late.

* * *

Azula lay on her bed face down in a soft pillow, her mind confused, scared and shocked all at the same time.

"_Why me?'_ she thinks to herself. _"Of all the people in our nation, out of billion of possibilities... why did it have to be me?"_

About five hours ago, she had discovered that she was the next Avatar. Her, of all people.

Even she thought of herself as the last possible person to be reincarnated into.

The Avatar was supposed to be kind, self sacrificing and forgiving and she... wasn't.

And what would this mean for her destiny as Firelord?

Did she even deserve to be one now?

What if her father had found out about this?

Her world, in the course of less then a day, had been turned upside down and twisted beyond belief.

Just then, the door to her room opens, causing her to jerk back in surprise.

A person in a red hooded cloak appears before her.

"Who are you?" Azula says to the mysterious figure.

The figure then removes its hood and reveals to be a familiar face.

"Uncle Iroh?" Azula says to her long lost uncle.

"Come with me, Azula." Iroh says to his niece. "We haven't much time."

Azula reluctantly complies with him and follows him out of her room.

"Here. Put this on to hide your face." Iroh says handing her an identical red cloak.

"Uncle, what are you doing here? What's going on?" Azula asks confusingly.

"Right now, a distraction is being made in the Royal Plaza to cover your escape. We need to move quickly if it is to succeed."

Azula then realizes what he is saying.

"I know, my niece." he plainly responds.

"When?" she asks.

"About five hours ago."

"Why?"

"I had wondered the same thing."

A loud muffled explosion then is outside.

"Come. We must go!" Iroh says taking her hand and running swiftly downs the halls of the palace.

Once outside, a frenzy of Fire Nation soldiers fighting white cloaked Firebenders and Earthbenders is seen in the Royal Plaza.

They manage to run their way through the battle and to the bay of the Capitol.

"Now what? Where's our ride?" Azula asks looking for a warship or small paddle boat of some kind, but finding none.

"Right here." Iroh answers.

He whistles in the distance and Zang comes flying in out of nowhere landing right in front of them.

"What.. is that?" Azula says.

"**This** is my partner, Zang. A Dragonfly." Iroh responds petting his pets scaly head happily.

"I'm... not so sure about this." Azula says nervously.

"It's either this or face your father back at the palace." Iroh says to his niece.

Azula, left with no other option, takes her uncles hand and climbs up behind him on Zang's back.

The three of them then lift off into sky and zoom away from the island.

Azula watches as her home grows smaller and smaller from sight with tears in her eyes.

"Where are we going?" She asks her uncle.

"To the one place that no one will go to for miles." Iroh says.

"M. Night Shyamalan's house?"

"What? Who the heck is that?" Iroh asks confused.

"Sorry. I really don't know what just came over me." Azula says equally confused at what she just said.

"Well, in any case, the place we are going is one that the Fire Navy have left undisturbed for quite some time. I think it will also serve as a decent place for us to hide for a while to figure out our next move. But I must warn you, it gets very cold there."

"Wait... oh no. You're not saying..."

"That's right. Pack your winter coat and toothbrush, my niece. We're going to the Southern Water Tribe!"

"I swear, I don't even know what's going on anymore."

**End of Ch 1. Thank God I finally got this done. And before you say anything, yes I realize Avatar Tsuna's name is similar to Avatar _Hat_suna in TeelTerror's book, but I swear I came up with it on my own and did not plaugerize it. Also, sorry bout that bit with M. Night. He's made some pretty great movies but he kinda did "ruin The Last Airbender with his plot and story twisting ideas." Anyways, the next few chapters will officially separate this story from TeelTerror's with an event that is the absolute last thing you guys would expect, aside from Azula being the Avatar. I won't say much except it will explain why the title's Air and Water. Well, Happy Thanksgiving and sorry Mr Shyamalan but it's a hard fact of life. Last Airbender's story is way screwed up. Bye!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Boy in the Iceberg?

Chapter 2

The Boy in the Iceberg?

**Edited**

A 14 year old Southern Water Tribe girl named Katara along with her brother, Sokka, slowly and calmly sail on a small wooden raft down a stream in the South Pole.

The two siblings were sent by their Grandmother, Kanna, to gather as much fish as possible to feed not only the people of their tribe, but for their new guest as well.

"Gotta say, Katara," Sokka begins "This has been the weirdest day I've ever had in my entire life."

"Yeah, for once I agree with you on that." Katara says to her brother

* * *

**2 hours earlier...**

Things were peaceful for the most part at the Southern Water Tribe that day.

Sokka was busy fortifying defensive barriers made of snow and ice while Katara was practicing her Waterbending by her self.

She would have normally found a master to properly teach her, but couldn't as most of the skilled Waterbenders left with her father, Hakoda, to the Earth Kingdom to help in the war effort.

The only ones left were a couple beginning students and 3 or 4 healers.

Then, as she turns around to the left, her eyes widen with fear as she sees a Fire Nation class warship preparing to dock at their tribe.

At first, she and her brother prepare to take battle positions, but their Grandmother Kanna stops them abruptly with her arm.

As they begin to wonder why she had stopped them, they notice the flag of the ship wasn't in the usual Fire Nation insignia or a sea raven like the ones that attacked their tribe years ago, but instead was in the form of a white lotus.

They gang plank of the ship lowers down to meet the icy surface with a figure wearing a red hooded cloak walking down.

They children see their grandmother walking towards the figure beginning to converse with him/her out of earshot.

They then notice another smaller figure wearing an identical cloak walk up next to them as they talk.

After they finish, Kanna and the red cloaked figure respectably bow to each and part separate ways.

Katara and Sokka then run towards their grandmother to find out just what had happened.

"Gran Gran, what was that all about? Who was that person you were talking with? And who is that?" Katara asks mildly confused.

"Come inside children, and I will tell you." Kanna answers.

They all go inside a small igloo and seat themselves down on the icy floor.

"If you would, my dear." Kanna says toward the red cloaked figure.

The figure then removes its hood to reveal the face of a young girl around 15 years old with neatly kept jet black hair and amber colored eyes.

"This is Azula, the former princess of the Fire Nation...and the next Avatar."

Katara and Sokka's eyes widen upon hearing these final words.

"You're the Firelord's daughter... **and **the Avatar?" Katara asks still trying to process this shocking information.

"Yes." Azula answers plainly. "I was also next in line for the throne until I had discovered this... along with my father."

"If you don't mind us asking, what exactly happened?" Sokka asks.

"Once I had discovered who I was, a scout had apparently found out too and informed my father in response. Then 5 hours afterwords, a group of renegade individuals against the Fire Nation helped create a distraction long enough to cover my escape before my father had the chance to imprison me. After that, I was sent here."

Azula's face then for the first time in a while, turns sad with grief and sorrow.

"I'm sorry." Katara begins. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Actually, There's something **I **would like you to do." Kanna says to her grandchildren.

"We're beginning to run low on food rations for the tribe. I'd like it if you two could take a canoe out to the streams and gather some more fish."

"Sure thing, Gran Gran." Katara answers.

She and her brother then leave the igloo to do just that.

* * *

"I didn't think it would ever happen but.." Sokka begins.

"The Avatar is still alive and there **is** hope that this war will end?" Katara guesses.

"No, I was gonna say there's finally someone with weird freaky powers besides you."

Her face then becomes irritated with frustration upon hearing this.

"There is one thing that I'm worried about. Being a Fire Avatar, Azula's first element to master would be Air, except... the Air Nomads were killed off decades ago. So how will she be able to learn?"

Unfortunately, Sokka was not paying the least bit attention as he was too busy watching a fish move around beneath the water.

"It's not getting away from me this time." he says confidently with his spear in his hand.

Katara breathes a sigh in frustration to the fact that once again, her brother failed to hear a word she said.

"Watch and learn, Katara. This is how you catch a fish."

Her gaze then turns to another fish swimming close to her end of the canoe.

She then removes her glove and takes a deep breath to focus her energy and concentration.

As she moves her hand in a delicate back and forth motion, a floating mass of water rises from the stream with a fish swimming back and forth inside.

"Sokka, look!" She says trying to get his attention.

"Shh. Katara. You're gonna scare it away." he says quietly. "Hmm. I can already smell it cookin."

"But Sokka, I caught one!"

She carefully bends the water over the canoe in attempt to release the fish into the boat, but Sokka unknowingly suddenly raises his spear backwards which collides with the water mass causing it to burst over his head and sending the fish back into the water.

"Hey!" Katara shouts out in anger towards watching her hard earned catch swim away.

"Why is it, that every time, you play with magic water, **I** get soaked?" Sokka says with his head dripping wet.

"Ugh. It's not magic. It's **Waterbending**. And it's..."

"Yeah yeah. An ancient art, unique to our culture, blah blah blah. Look, I'm just saying that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself."

"You're calling **me** weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water."

She then notices him doing just what she had said.

"I thought I saw a bug." he says fabricating an excuse.

"We're in the middle of the South Pole." Katara says poking a hole in his logic.

"It could have been an **Arctic** bug!"

"Ok, now you're just making s**t up."

Sokka begins to say something in response, but is cut off by a hard ramming force on their canoe.

They then realize they've sent themselves a drift into an treacherous ice flow!

Suddenly, a quick and powerful stream sends the canoe speeding out off control.

Sokka attempts to paddle their way to safety.

"Watch out!" Katara shouts noticing a group of icebergs beginning to block their path.

"Go left! Go left!"

Their canoe is hit hard by surrounding blocks of ice on all sides.

Suddenly, both of them are sent flying out of the boat just in time before it is crushed by two large icebergs, leaving them adrift out in the river.

"This is why **I** should be driving." Katara says in frustration towards her brother.

"Maybe **you** should have lent a hand and "waterbended" out of the ice." Sokka says back.

"So it's my fault?"

"Well, at least I actually tried to get us out while you were just shouting in my ear "Go left! Go left!" he says in a mocking tone.

"Maybe if **YOU** were paying attention to where we were going instead of admiring yourself in the water, we wouldn't be out here!"

"I told you I saw A BUG!"

"You're still trying that one on me?" Katara says with pity.

"I knew I should have left you home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up."

("Just like Lindsay Lohan. I'm just sayin!")

Katara's face begins to twitch in unbelievable anger.

"You might wanna get that looked at." Sokka says noticing her.

"You are the most SEXIST, IMMATURE, NUTBRAINED... I'm embarrassed to be related to you!" She shouts while inadvertently Waterbending gigantic waves behind her not noticing.

Suddenly, a large pillar like iceberg begins to crack from her waves, giving Sokka a look of pure fear.

"Ever since Mom died, I've been doing all the work around camp while YOU'VE been off playing soldier!"

" Umm.. Katara?"

"I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks?"

"Actually, yes. And I must say, they're **really **potent! We should actually consider using them in the war, but that's not important right now." he says trying to get her attention about what she's doing.

"Everything is a damn joke to you, isn't it!" Katara says more angry then she's ever been in her entire life.

"Well you aren't the only one being pressured back home. Dad left **me **in charge to look out for our **ENTIRE TRIBE!** How do you think that makes me feel? Honestly, I'm just one guy! What **if **we **do** get attacked by the Fire Nation? How am I supposed to protect EVERYONE?"

Katara begins to see what her brother is saying and settles down.

"I.. I didn't know. I'm sorry."

Sokka begins to see a sad and guilty look on his sisters face.

"Look, I'm sorry too. I guess we both have just been caught up in each others problems back home that we haven't bothered to see each others point of view."

"I guess so." Katara says seeing what he means.

"I'm sorry I was acting like a jerk and making you feel unappreciated. I really am grateful for what you do." Sokka says.

"And I'm sorry about calling you a sexist, immature, nutbrained..."

"Ya know, let's just hug it out." He says stopping her there.

They both then hug each other happily in reconcilement.

"Mom wouldn't have wanted us to fight like this." Katara says to her brother.

"Yeah. I know. I miss her too." Sokka says sadly.

"But it's not like we're defenseless anymore. Azula's here now, and from what I've read from dad, she's supposed to be a Firebending prodigy. Even at her age."

"Ya know, I think you're right." Sokka says with hope.

"That's a change coming from you." Katara says jokingly.

"I thought we made up." Sokka says slightly annoyed.

"Eh, we're brother and sister. It'd be strange if we **didn't **fight."

"You got me there."

Suddenly, a loud and earsplitting crack is heard behind them.

They spring around to see the iceberg behind them begin to fall apart!

Chucks of ice begin to crumble down, causing an enormous wave to send them hurtling in it's wake.

The water then begins to calm as the small piece of ice gently floats with then on top.

"Did **I** do that?" Katara says with shock and awe.

"Well, I tried to tell you, but **you **had to bring up that bit about my socks."

Just then, they notice a strange blue glow begin to bubble right in front of them.

It begins to grow larger and larger, until suddenly, an enormous glowing iceberg rises up from the water towering in front of them!

As it begins to float closer to them, Katara notices an odd shaped caught inside it.

The shape of a person!

Suddenly, it's eyes begin to open in a bright blueish glow.

"He's alive!" Katara says with amazement.

She then reaches into her brothers back sack and pulls out his boomerang.

"We have to help!" She says rushing towards the iceberg.

"Katara! Get back here! We don't know what that thing is!" He says as he picks up his spear and heads after his sister.

Both begin to hop across small chunks of ice and eventually reach the iceberg.

Katara then proceeds to hit it with the boomerang.

After one final whack, a huge breeze of air blows out from the iceberg!

Loud rumblings begin to echo all around it as a large crack begins to encircle it.

Suddenly, it explodes from the inside releasing an awesome stream of light into the sky.

* * *

Miles away on Iroh's ship, the banished Fire Nation Prince Zuko spots the immense beam of light emminating from the distance.

"Finally." He says happily.

"Uncle. Do you realize what this means?"

Iroh manages to hide a look of shock towards what his nephew points out.

Where the beam of light seemed to be coming from was the exact place he had dropped his niece Azula off roughly about 4 hours ago.

Luckily, he managed to sneak back aboard the ship without alerting his nephew.

He absolutely **could not** let him discover the truth about who or where his sister was.

"I won't get to finish my game?" he says half heartedly.

"It means my search is about to come to an end." Zuko answers.

Iroh sighs in both frustration and worry.

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source . It has to be him!"

"Or her." Iroh says being politically correct.

"Or her. Could go either way. You're right." Zuko says.

"Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing."

"Ok, first, wouldn't the celestial lights would be dozens of other colored lights floating around in the sky at NIGHT? What we saw was just a giant beam of blue light coming from somewhere on the ground." Zuko says breaking his uncles logic.

"And second, were you even looking at where I was pointing?"

Iroh simply looks on at Zuko wide eyed realizing he was right.

"Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?" he says calmly trying to change the subject.

"Eh. Why not? Haven't had anything to drink all day." Zuko surprisingly responds leaving Iroh even more shocked.

He sits down at the table opposite of his uncle and accepts the cup of tea.

He takes a small sip and exhales happily.

"Well?" his uncle asks.

"Ya know, it's not that bad." Zuko says. "I'm actually kinda sorry I turned it down all these years."

"Jasmine's actually my favorite kind. Always has been." Iroh says to his nephew hoping to draw his attention away from the South Pole.

"Nice." Zuko comments.

He then gets up from his position and yawns and stretches himself awake.

"Well, that was nice, but.. time to get back to work. I'll set a course for the South Pole." Zuko says heading off to do just that, leaving his uncle alone in defeat.

"... F**k!" he says in anger.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the iceberg, large streams of circling lights begin to dance from around the spot where the iceberg broke.

Just then, the figure from inside picks itself up, still glowing a bright blue.

"Stop!" Sokka says raising his spear in defense.

The figure then stands up on its legs and then its glowing suddenly begins to fade.

As it falls, Katara manages to catch it breaking its fall, and now looks to see a boy around 12 years old with a bald head and strange arrow tattoos coming down the crown of his head.

Sokka then begins to poke his head with the other side of his spear.

"Stop it!" Katara says pushing him away.

The boy then begins to regain conciseness and opens his eyes to Katara's face.

"I need to ask you something." he faintly says to her.

"What?"

"Please... come closer."

"What is it?"

"... Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

Katara's face then turns surprised and wide eyed.

"Uh... sure.. I guess."

The boy then lifts himself up, surprisingly, almost without lifting a finger, leaving Sokka scared with his spear in hand.

"What's going on here?" he asks.

"You tell us!" Sokka says shocked. "How'd you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?" he says **still **poking him with his spear.

"I'm not sure."

A loud animal like grumbling is then heard from the crater where he once was.

He then hurriedly climbs is way back up towards the source.

"Appa!" he shouts happily landing on the head of what appears to be a gigantic six-legged bison with large horns and a beaver like tail.

"Are you alright? Wake up, buddy." he says trying to open his eyes.

He then hopelessly tries to lift him up from his slumber, just as Katara and Sokka come to see what's going on... and getting shocked out of their minds.

Appa then wakes up lifting the boy upwards with a swish of his giant tongue.

"You're okay!"

"What... the heck.. is that thing?" Sokka asks.

"This is Appa, my flying bison."

"Riiight. And this is Katara, my **flying **sister." he says sarcasticly.

Appa then begins to sir a bit and then... sneezes what might be the biggest snot wad in the world all over Sokka.

"EWWW! BISON SNOT!" he shouts in disgust trying to wipe it off.

"Ya kinda had that coming." Katara says jokingly.

"Don't worry. It'll wash out... I think. So, do you guys live around here?"

"Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that "Evil" look in his eye." Katara says as the boy smiles happily and innocently.

"That my dear sister, is the look... of pure evil" Sokka says superstitiously.

"Ya know, I'll bet you just talk just to hear the sound of your own voice."

"I"m going to be optimistic and take that as a compliment." he says slightly angerly.

"Whatever makes you happy, Sokka. Anyways, the paranoid, and more then often, **annoying **one, is my brother, Sokka. You never told us your name."

"I'm.. ahh... ahhh... ahhhhhchooo!"

He is then lifted off several feet into the air by this very powerful sneeze and comes back landing safely on his feet.

"I'm Aang." he finishes wiping his nose with his finger.

"You just sneezed... and flew 10 feet into the air!" Sokka says with shock.

"Really? It felt higher then that."

Katara then gasps in shock.

"Your an Airbender!"

"Sure am!"

"Giant light beams, flying bison, Airbenders, I think I got midnight sun madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." Sokka says still trying to wrap his head around just what the bloody hell was going on.

But then notices that they have absolutely no way off getting home.

"Well If you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift." Aang happily offers floating back onto of his furry friend.

"We'd live a ride. Thanks." Katara says.

"Oh no. I am **not **getting on that fluffy snot monster." Sokka says in discontent.

"Are you hoping some **other** kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? Ya know, before you freeze to death?"

Sokka raises his hand to argue, but lowers it in defeat.

"Damn it." he mumbles under his breath.

* * *

Both siblings then prepare themselves for the flight home.

"Okay! First time fliers hold on tight! And in case of emergency, exits are... well.. not recommended."

"Just start the bison." Sokka says annoyed.

"Appa! Yip Yip!"

Appa then readies himself and jumps high in the air... and lands belly down straight in the water.

"C'mon Appa! Yip Yip!"

"Wow. That was so truly amazing, I just might need to ask for my money back." Sokka says.

"That... was the most god awful joke you've ever come up with in your entire life." Katara says to him.

"I thought it was funny." Aang says. "Anyways, Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see."

Katara then notices Aang smiling at her rather oddly.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"Umm.." Aang begins to say.

"_Easy Aang." _he thinks to himself. _"Don't just blurt it out like an idiot. Try to play it cool."_ "Oh. I was smiling?"

The three then peacefully float back to the tribe calmly and pleasantly through the water.

* * *

Back on Zuko's ship, he silently stands at the bridge of the ship watching the icebergs ahead.

"I'm going to bed now." Iroh says with a yawn.

"Yep, a man needs his rest."

He gets no response.

"Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right, and the Avatar **is** alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather and great grandfather all tried and failed to bring him/her back alive."

"Because their honor, didn't hinge on the Avatars capture. Mine does. This cowards years of hiding are over."

"Fine. Whatever you say, nephew." Iroh says going back inside, still thinking about just what would happen when they would reach the South Pole.

* * *

Back with the kids, Appa continues to make speed in heading back to the tribe.

Katara then moves closer to Aang.

"Hey."

"Hey. Whatch you thinking about?"

"I guess I was wondering, your being an Airbender and all, if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar back then."

Aangs face then turns shocked in response.

Little did she know, he **did **know what happened to the Avatar.

"Uh.. no . I didn't know him. I mean, I knew people that knew him, but I didn't. Sorry."

"Okay. Cause have we got a surprise for you when we get back to the tribe."

"Oooh. I like surpises!" Aang says happily.

"I don't" Sokka says in back.

"Ignore him." Katara says. "Good night."

"Sleep tight."

Aang rests his head on Appa worried about what he had just discussed with Katara.

* * *

Aang wakes up on Appa to see dark thunderclouds all around them.

Suddenly, it begins rain heavily and hard causing Aang to scream out in terror.

Both him and Appa land deep below the water, quickly running out of air.

Suddenly, Aang's eyes and tattoos begin to glow as he summons a giant sphere of light around the two which begins to freeze on the outside.

"Aang" a voice calls out. "Aang, wake up!"

* * *

Aang then suddenly awakens inside a small tent.

"It's okay." Katara says kneeling by his side. "We're in the village now. C'mon. Get ready. Everyone's waiting to meet you."

As Aang puts his shirt back on, she notices the strange tattoos running down the side of his arms and back.

She then drags him by the arm outside the tent to see the village.

Outside, a group of people, mostly children and women, stand to see yet **another** visitor to their tribe.

"Aang, this is our entire village. Entire village, Aang."

Aang respectfully bows, though most of the villagers are a little weary and cautious.

"Uh.. why are they all looking at me like that?" Aang asks a little confused. "Did Appa sneeze on me?"

"Well no ones seen an Airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct, until my granddaughter and grandson found you." Kanna says to the young Airbender.

"Extinct?" Aang says with fear.

"Aang, this is my grandmother, Kanna."

"Call me Gran Gran."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot. There's someone really special we'd like you meet." Katara says to him.

A young girl around 15 years old then emerges from the crowd dressed in Fire Nation clothes with fiery amber eyes and her jet black hair tied back.

"Aang, this is Princess Azula of the Fire Nation." Katara introduces.

"A great honor to meet you, your highness." Aang says respectably with a bow.

"Thank you Aang. Great surprise to meet you too." Azula says.

"Forgive me for asking, but what's the princess of the Fire Nation doing all the way out here at the South Pole?" Aang asks.

"Well, that's the surprise I was talking about." Katara begins. "Azula, as it turns out... is the next Avatar."

"WHAT?" Aang shouts out in extreme shock.

**End of Ch 2. Worked all day to finish this one. Well, you guys wondered why the book's called "Air and Water"? Well, now you know. "And knowing is half the..." wait, never mind. Too corny. Anyways, Ch 3 is up next. This one focuses on a new character who will have a major role to play later on in the story. Special thanks to Kyu-chan for giving me the suggestion to use to look up lines from the original series. And as for the request to make an AzulAang pairing, sorry but I already got plans for who will end up with her. Hope you guys enjoyed the improv lines and bits of comedy I added. Stay safe and keep reading, I'm out!**


	4. Chapter 3: Ooka

Chapter 3

Ooka

Back in a cloth tent at the Southern Water Tribe, a young 15 year old boy named Ooka was beginning his day just as he always did since his dad Bato left with the other men and women to fight in the war.

He got out of bed, dressed himself and stepped out into the cold bitter air of his arctic home.

It wasn't the warmest or the most hospitable of places in the world, but it was family.

He would have much preferred to go with his dad to take on the ruthless soldiers of the Fire Nation and help bring peace and freedom back to the world.

Unfortunately, he was left behind to protect his tribe and mother.

He thought of the day he left every day since then.

* * *

Bato was readying the last of the supplies onto the fleets main vessel.

He turns around to see his son Ooka with a sad and disappointed look on his face.

"It's not fair." he says with sadness in his eyes. "I wanna go with you, dad. I want to fight by your side and help end this war."

"I know, Ooka." Bato says placing a caring hand on his son's shoulder. "I'd like it if you could come with us too. But you're just too young, son. And of something happened to you out there on the field... I could never forgive myself. What would I say to your mother?"

"It's because I can't fight **at all**. I can barley Waterbend a tiny puddle, much less take on the Fire Nation."

"Now don't talk like that, son. You're a very talented bender, just like your mom. All you need is practice, patience, and most of all.. time. The greatest Waterbending masters like Avatar Kuruk didn't master it in a day. They all had to be patient, calm and open-minded to achieve their desires. Adaptability and patience are what make our tribe so strong and proud. All you need to do is wait and believe, and you'll find it."

Ooka looks to his father with a smile on his face and hugs him fiercely.

"I'm gonna miss you, dad."

"I'll miss you too. I promise you that once this war ends, I'll take you up to the Northern Water Tribe to find you a master. But for now, I need you to keep your mother safe along with the rest of the tribe. Doing that will make me prouder then ever."

Ooka looks upon his father with a look of determination.

"Alright. I'll make sure things are safe here. Sokka and Katara will help out too."

"I'm sure they will. Their definitely Hakoda's kids. Though Sokka does act a little strange sometimes."

"I think he just tries too hard to be funny." Ooka responds.

"Yeah, he kinda does. Then again, so did his dad when we were his age. I remember one time we led a stampede of Polar Bear Dogs into the village when we were teens. Let's just say we had a lot of... business.. to clean up afterwords."

Hakoda then comes up behind his longtime friend.

"Please tell me you're not telling that old Polar Bear Dog story again, Bato." He says to him. "I'm still trying to get the smell out of my nose, and that was 26 years ago for God's sake"

"Thought it would be funny to tell the kids, ya know, to make sure history doesn't repeat it self with our kids."

"And you think that Sokka would do something as stupid as lead a giant pack of Dogs with a 15 lb piece of meat into the tribe to hook them all up together to make the worlds largest Dog sled team?"

"It was **your** idea."

"Which **you** could have tried to talk me out of."

"I **DID!**"

"Uhh.. guys?" Ooka says to get their attention.

"But anyways," Bato begins. "We need Katara, Sokka and you to stay here and help keep our home safe. And no matter where we go, I'll always be with you son."

He give his son once last hug before boarding the ship along with Hakoda.

Ooka along with Sokka and Katara watch as their fathers slowly begin to fade from sight into the fog of the night.

* * *

It had been two full years since he and his father last seen each other.

He wrote often of the places they visited in the Earth Kingdom.

One consisted about how he and Hakoda accidentally got into trouble with some weird cabbage merchant at Omashu.

Apparently, Hakoda was swatting at a fly buzzing around his face with his sword and sliced the poor guys cart in two.

Bato **still** couldn't believe he tried to use his sword to swat at it.

This didn't diminish his great respect for his longtime best friend's experiences and wisdom in battle.

Hell, he was even his best man during his wedding with Kya, and also grimly stood by his friend during her funnel.

Ooka often visited with his friends Sokka and Katara and always had a fun time doing so.

Oddly enough, Sokka and he **did** cause a lot of incidents at their tribe.

The two once attempted to use a fleet of Otter-Penguins to power a Water Tribe warboat in order to make it go twice as fast. This ended horribly with the two of them holding on to each other for dear life literally being dragged underwater along with the entire boat.

Katara **never** let them hear the end of it.

Despite this, she still got along well with Ooka and often practiced Waterbending with him on many occasions. The one thing neither of them liked though, was often being called a "couple" by almost everyone in their village. Katara though only saw him as a lovable older brother... besides the one she already had.

Yet despite all this, Ooka still wished he could be out there with his dad, the two of them against the Fire Nation, fighting to make their world a better place.

As he walks outside to see what Sokka's up to today, the ground begins to vibrate and shake violently. He turns to the left and gazes in pure horror at the sight of a Fire Nation class warship sailing in the direction of the tribe. Ooka then makes a mad dash back towards his home to grab something. He quickly grabs his spear given to him by his dad on his 13th birthday and rushes back outside to prepare for battle. Just as he makes it back outside, he sees what looks like Katara and Sokka's grandmother speaking with a red hooded figure by the gang plank of the ship. He also notices an second yet smaller looking red hooded being standing close to the first. Kanna and the figure then respectably bow to one another and part ways.

"They're not here to attack us?" Ooka says confused.

Then out of the corner of his eye, he sees his two friends being approached by the smaller figure and their grandmother. They begin to say something out of earshot which makes Ooka very curious as to what's going on. The four of them then proceed into a small igloo and disappear from sight. As he begins to make his way there to see what is happening, he's taken off guard by someone shouting towards him.

"Ooka!"

He then turns to his right and see's his mother running worryingly toward him and goes to hug her.

"Don't scare me like that again! Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"Mom, I'm fine. Nothing even happened. Kanna just talked with a couple of people in cloaks and they left."

"Huh. That's strange. Where is she now?"

"She, Katara, Sokka and another person in a cloak are talking in her igloo. I **was** going to meet up with them until you came... not that I don't blame you being worried because I'd be worried too if something happened to yo... ya know, I'm just gonna go meet up with them and see what's going on."

"Alright. Be safe."

Ooka then begins to make his way there, but see's Katara and Sokka heading outside.

"Hey guys!" He shouts trying to get their attention.

"Guys!" No luck.

He looks over to the igloo noticing Kanna had stepped outside. His heart then stops completely at the sight of the person next to her, a beautiful 15 year old girl with jet black hair tied in a bun, two wispy bangs on each side of her face, and amber eyes as bright as the sun. Ooka had never seen anyone in his life more pretty and lovely as her. As the girl walks back inside the igloo, he hesitantly runs over to Kanna to finally get some answers.

"Ms. Kanna," Ooka says respectably to her. "What just happened with the Fire Nation ship? Where are Katara and Sokka going? And.. who was that girl?"

Kanna looks around her surroundings cautiously before answering. "Can you keep a secret Ooka?" She asks the young boy.

"Of course. Anything."

"Alright then. To answer your question about our guest, she is Princess Azula of the Fire Nation."

Ooka's eyes widen upon hearing these words.

"What! That's insane! Why is the crown princess of the most dangerous nation in the world doing here!"

"I was **getting** to that!" Kanna says irritated. "She, as it turns out, is also the next Avatar. Her father, FireLord Ozai, discovered who she was and was planning to have her imprisoned, but before he could do so, a band of renegade individuals managed to launch a distraction long enough for her to escape here. And as for your friends, I sent them to go gather more fish for both the tribe and Azula."

"Wow. She's the Fire Nation Princess **and** the Avatar? Talk about high expectations."

"Well, former princess to be exact. Right now, she's a little exhausted and tired from the trip here so you'll have to wait before meeting with her."

"Sure. And don't worry Ms. Kanna, I'll keep this a secret until it's time for the others to know."

"You're defiantly your father's son." She says with gratitude. "Except you don't help try to pull a prank on your friends mother by imposing as a Water Spirit with a squid on top of your friend's head."

"He said he was sorry, didn't he?"

"But anyways, I suggest you go home for now. Your mother probably needs you to help calm her down after today's unexpected surprise."

Ooka bows respectably to her and heads back to his house. Inside, he see's his mother patiently waiting for him with her arms crossed.

"So, anything interesting happen?" She asks him.

"Uh... no, not really."

"Really? Because for some reason, A Fire Nation Ship just came and left without doing anything, Kanna was talking with some person in a red cloak who got off the ship, and nobody knows why."

"Well, it's not like **I **know anything either."

"Then why were you just talking to Kanna 5 minutes ago?"

Ooka is left with his mouth agap toward being caught in a lie. However, as if to save him from being interrogated, a far away, yet loud boom like sound erupts breaking the silence.

"Hey! What was that? Better go check it out to be safe." He says quickly making his way back outside.

Once outside, he along with the other villagers spot a giant blue beam of light emanating off in the distance. As he stares toward it in both amazement and nervousness, Kanna walks beside him also tranced by this mysterious disturbance. Suddenly as quick as it began, the light disappears.

"Ok I'll bite. What the hell was that?" Ooka says to Kanna.

"I... have no idea."

"Whatever it was, it was definitely very powerful." A voice behind them says.

Both turn around to see Azula standing behind them.

"I'm assuming you know nothing of what just occurred either, Avatar?" Kanna asks her.

"Honestly, no. I've studied a lot of different subjects back home about engineering, weather, even astronomy, and I have no idea what that just was." She then turns her attention to see a slightly nervous Ooka trying to act casual, but failing.

"Anyways, Azula, this is Ooka, son of Lieutenant Bato of our group of warriors off fighting in the war, Ooka, well, you already know who this is." She says nudging him forward.

"My father's not a Lieutenant!" He whispers quietly to her.

"Shh! Play along and she might show some interest."

Ooka then walks over toward Azula to shake her hand.

"So," Ooka begins trying to start conversation. "You're a princess! That's... that's nice."

"Well, former princess technically." Azula points out. "You probably already know that I discovered I'm the Avatar."

"Oh, yeah! Yeah. That's... that's pretty big." Ooka says. "It's also kinda surprising, ya know what with you being the exact **opposite** of an Avatar. Ya know, Princess of the most ruthless and dangerous army the world's ever seen... not that that's a bad thing.. well, it kinda is but... not for... you?"

Both Azula and Kanna have confused looks on their faces, leaving Ooka extremely embarrassed.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm just gonna... go away from here now." He says nervously sidestepping back into his home.

"He's just excited to meet the Avatar in person is all." Kanna quickly explains to her.

"Yeah... sure."

* * *

Ooka awoke the next day lying in his bed thinking on what happened the day before. He remembered he met the Avatar, Azula, and that he completely made himself look like an idiot in front of her trying to act cool. He then sighs, gets out of bed and meets up with his mom.

"Hey mom." he casually greets her.

"Morning. Why didn't you tell me you met the Avatar yesterday?"

"What! Whoever said... how did you.."

"Relax. Kanna told us all yesterday night when you and the kids were asleep. Speaking of kids by the way, Katara and Sokka just got back last night."

"Really? Awesome!"

"From what I can tell, they also brought **another** strange visitor with them. They're outside now."

Ooka then takes a look outside to see Katara, Sokka and Azula talking with an oddly dressed boy about 12 years old with a bald head and a strange tattoo going down his face.

Curious as to who this new stranger is, he rushes over to find out.

**End of Ch 3. Hope you guys liked THIS version of Ch 3 better then the last. For those of you who don't know, I tried to do an insert OC of myself, but it didn't go so well. So in his, or (my) place, I put Ooka. His name is derived from the japanese word for wolf if you were wondering. He'll have all the powers and roles to play that my original character would have. Next Ch, Ooka meets up with Aang and a certain Fire Nation Prince comes along to capture the Avatar... only question is, which one? Stay tuned to find out!**


	5. Chapter 4: Intertwined Destines

**This may be the LONGEST ch I've ever had to write for this book, and I'm not even half way done with Book 1! Yes, there ARE going to be more after this. Hope you guys will like this ch after the long wait you had to endure. Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar: The Last Airbender, I would have done a better job on the live action movie then M. Knight S**tmalan did and I would be dating either Katara or Ty Lee. Can't decide. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Intertwined Destines

"WHAT?" Aang shouts out in complete shock toward what he just heard.

"I know. We were surprised too when we found out." Katara says to him. "And it's a pure stroke of luck that the Fire Nation Princess of all people turns out to be the next Avatar."

Aang all the while is left in a state of confusion that nearly drove him insane. The monks had told him **HE** was the next Avatar. There couldn't be possibly two... could there? He sensed that Katara was telling the truth, but he had to check to be sure.

"Hold on a sec," Aang says to the group. "Do you have any proof or authorization that your the Avatar, like bending other elements or even just a birth certificate?"

"Well, I can't entirely bend other elements yet." Azula points out. "But I was considered a Firebending prodigy since I was 8 years old."

"Hey guys!"

The group turns to around to see a 15 year old boy with light brown hair and solid blue eyes coming to see what was going on.

"Hey Ooka!" Sokka says running over with Katara to greet their childhood friend.

"I tried calling out to you guys yesterday when you were taking off to go fishing but you apparently didn't hear me"

"Sorry, we were in kind of a rush." Katara says apologetically. "But while we were out, we found someone I think you'd like to meet."

His gaze then turns to meet the bald headed yet strangely dressed 12 year old boy with a arrow shaped tattoo on the crown of his head.

"Ooka, this is Aang. Aang, I'd like you meet Sokka and my best friend, Ooka."

"It's great to meet you." Aang says happily extending his hand.

"You too, Aang." Ooka responds smiling accepting the handshake. "No offense, but what's with the clothes you got on? They don't look like any I've ever seen or heard about."

"Well it turns out that Aang happens to be a genuine Airbender!" Katara answers.

"Wait, Seriously?" Ooka says in disbelief. "I thought they went extinct years ago."

"So did we." Sokka says with irritation. "By the way, what is this, a weapon?" He says taking Aangs staff from his hands and examining it worryingly. "You can't stab anything with this."

"It's not for stabbing," Aang corrects him as he Airbends the staff back into his own hands. "It's for Airbending."

He then opens the staff revealing its wing like flaps while shocking Sokka upon doing this, leaving the children excited and mesmerized.

"Magic trick! Do it again!" A little girl says happily.

"Not magic, Airbending. It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly."

"Ya know last time I checked, humans can't fly!" Sokka says with doubt.

"Check again!" Aang says with a determined look on his face. Then to everyone's surprise, he pushes off the ground and glides around gracefully and fast! This alone leaves most of tribe both shocked and amazed, Ooka and Azula impressed, Katara in total awe, and Sokka... not phased in the least.

Aang as usual was enjoying his time soaring in his natural element, that is until his flight was cut short with him crashing head first into Sokka's watchtower made of ice and snow.

He manages to pull himself out leaving a considerable hole where he crashed.

"My Watchtower!" Sokka says devastated while he Katara and the others rush over to Aang buried in a mound of snow.

"That was amazing!" Katara says giving him her hand helping him up to his feet.

"I'll say. I've read a lot about the Airbenders in our history books, But I guess you really have to see it first hand to believe it." Azula says to the young airbender.

Meanwhile, Sokka attempts to access the damage done to his watchtower and then has another large mound of snow fall on top of him, which he angerly digs his way out of. "Great. You're an Airbender, Katara's a Waterbender, together you can just waste time all day long."

"Hey! What does that make Azula and me?" Ooka says slightly offended.

"Um, I'd like to stay out of this conversation Thank You very much." Azula says to him.

"It's different with you Ooka." Sokka attempts to explain. "You practice Waterbending to help fight in the war and bring peace to our tribe."

"And Katara doesn't?"

"Well... yeah, but.. well what I meant was..."

"Ya know Sokka, why don't we just end the conversation where we are for the sake of preserving our friendship, deal?"

"Deal."

The two then get to work on repairing the damaged watchtower.

"You and Ooka are Waterbenders?" Aang asks Katara with excitement.

"Well.. sort of, not yet."

"Alright, no more playing." Kanna says to her granddaughter. "C'mon Katara. You have chores."

"I told you. He's the real thing, Gran Gran." Katara says to her grandmother. "I've finally found a Bender to teach me.. **and** Ooka!"

"Katara, try not to put all your hopes in this boy." Kanna says to her.

"But he's special, I can tell. I sense he's filled with much wisdom."

They then turn to see Aang showing another trick to the children: freezing his tongue to his staff.

"Thee? Ow I thong is stuck thu my shaff!" (You can probably guess what he's saying.) One of the children then playfully tries to pry it loose leaving the others clapping in joy.

"With... a wide sense of humor and.. peacefull.. ness?" Katara continues to say. "Plus, think of it this way. If he's the only Airbender left in the world, he might be the perfect, if not the **only** Airbending teacher for Azula."

"Well, I will say you have a point there," Kanna says in agreement. "But just be sure to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't cause trouble."

"Does this mean I can get out of doing my chores for a few seconds?" Katara says with large classic puppy dog eyes.

Kanna then sighs in defeat. "Just another hour."

Katara then hugs here grandmother happily and runs off to find Aang, leaving a small smile on her face.

"She certainly is her mother's daughter."

* * *

On board Zuko's ship, He, and a couple soldiers help prepare his Firebending techniques for when he finally faces the Avatar as Iroh sits a fair distance to judge his form.

"Again." Iroh says.

Zuko then fires two dual blasts of fire from his hands as the two soldiers attempt to block and shoot back some of their own. Zuko counters by jumping over them while releasing a stream as he lands.

Iroh sighs frustratingly as he rises from his seat.

"No. Power in Firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body, the energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire!"

He then shoots a small yet powerful blast of fire close to Zuko's face.

"Get it right this time."

"Enough. I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set, I'm more then ready."

"No, You're impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!"

Zuko with a furious look on his face then fires a blast from his foot which manages to knock one of the soldiers down to the ground.

"The sages tell us that the Avatar not only can master our element, but the other three as well, which means I'll need more then basic Firebending to defeat him."

"That is assuming he ever was able to reincarnate again, Prince Zuko! Remember your father's message..."

"I know what he said! He said during the time of next Fire Avatar's birth, he and his agents managed to track him down and kill him before he became a threat. And that by doing so, ended the reincarnation cycle as all the Airbenders were wiped out. But I don't believe it. Our history says that the Airbenders were masters of evasion and defense. It's possible that a group of them survived the Genocide and that one of their children were born the next Avatar. And the light we saw proves it. Uncle, If we ever hope to stop him, I need to learn the advanced set."

Iroh looks upon his nephew with a stern look for a few moments. "Very well. But first, I must finish my Roast Duck." He says pulling out a case containing pieces of duck meat and chopsticks and proceeds to quickly eating them up.

"Why didn't **I **get some of that?" Zuko says disappointed.

"Trust me, eating a plate of this will cause your flames to erupt out the opposite end, if you know what I'm talking about."

"Thank you for putting that thought in my head, Uncle." Zuko says sarcasticly.

* * *

Back at the Tribe, Sokka appears to be preparing a group of soldiers for training with a thought out pep talk of some sort.

"Now men, It's important that you show no fear when you face a Firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?"

Closer observation reveals his "men" to be a group of children. One of them then raises his hand.

"Yes Olo." Sokka says to the boy.

"Yeah, I find you over dramatic, inexperienced and just plain stupid. Oh, and I gotta pee."

"Okay, Ignoring all of that, until your fathers return from the war, their counting on you to be the men of this tribe..."

"We're just kids!"

"And that means no **POTTY BREAKS!**"

"But I really gotta go."

Sokka sighs in frustration. "Ok, Who else has to go?"

All the kids then raise their hands.

"Oh, you gotta be freaking kidding me."

Everyone then proceeds to go... well you get the idea.

"Have you seen Aang?" Katara says as she and Ooka walk up to him. "Gran Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago."

"Good. Maybe he left."

"You really don't like him, do you?" Ooka says.

"He's immature, really annoying and doesn't even notice that we're in the middle of a war. So no, not so much."

Aang then appears coming out of a make shift outhouse of some kind.

"Wow. **Everything** freezes in there." He jokes causing an uproar of laughter from the kids.

"Ugh! Katara, Ooka, get him out of here. The lesson is for warriors only." Sokka says nearly about to snap, which he does when he sees the children using Appa's tail as a slide as one goes down happily and flips over a pole made of spears into a soft mound of snow.

"I thought you guys said you were going to the bathroom, not playing around on Appa!"

"Yeah, funny thing about that, we lied!" Olo says taking his turn down Appa's tail, doing three consecutive flips in the air and lands in the snow.

A group of kids then raise slabs of ice with scores on his performance reading 10, 10, and 6. The third kid then takes a double take at his number and turns it around to make a 9.

Sokka then losses what little patience with Aang he had left and goes over to confront him.

"STOP! Stop it right now! What's wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with the war going on."

"What war? What are you talking about?" Aang asks sliding down Appa's side.

"You really don't know?" Azula says making her way towards the four of them.

"Should I know?" Aang says to her.

Suddenly his eyes widen in excitement and suddenly shouts "PENGUIN!"

They turn to see an Otter-Penguin who's eyes widen in fear and immediately takes off in the other direction as Aang chases after it.

"He's kidding, right?" Sokka says in disbelief.

"Maybe not." Ooka speaks up. "You guys said you found him frozen in ice, right?"

"Yeah." Katara confirms.

"Maybe beyond some rule of nature, he was cryogenically frozen in that glacier for a hundred years while the war was going on around him."

"Yeah, and maybe magic beings from another world created our planet and moon." Sokka says sarcasticly.

"Is he always like this?" Azula asks Katara.

"He's usually worse." She responds. "How bout Azula, Ooka and I go talk to Aang and find out exactly what he remembers before he found his way here."

"I'm cool with that." Ooka says.

"What about you, Azula?"

"Well, I've got nothing else better to do, so I guess, sure." She says a little reluctantly.

The three then head off in Aang's direction leaving Sokka alone with Appa.

"Can you **really** fly or was Aang just screwing around with me?" He says to the giant bison.

Appa responds by attempting another lift off by jumping in the air, but once again fails and plummets back to the ground sending a flurry of of snow in it's wake, covering Sokka from head to toe.

"Ugh... Airbenders."

* * *

Katara, Azula and Ooka begin their search for Aang in a area filled with Otter-Penguins.

"Why are their so many here?" Azula asks.

"This is the usual breeding grounds for Otter-Penguins" Ooka answers. "The terrain and area around here makes for a perfect habitat for them to raise their young."

Katara takes a couple steps forward into the field to look for her lost friend.

"Aang. You here?" She calls out.

The three then hear child like laughter and turn to see Aang following a group of Penguins, apparently still trying to catch one.

"Hey, c'mon little guy. Wanna go sledding?"

They walk towards the young Airbender who picks himself up from the snow.

"I have a way with animals." he says happily and then begins to imitate a penguin giving Katara a little giggle while Ooka and Azula just look on weirdly.

"Aang, I'll help you catch a penguin if you teach Ooka and me Waterbending." Katara says to him while he unsuccessfully holds on to a penguin by the tail being dragged across the snow.

"You gotta deal, just one little problem, I'm an Airbender, not a Waterbender. Isn't there someone in your tribe who can teach you two?"

"No. You're looking at the only two Waterbenders in the whole South Pole." She responds sadly.

"Wait, that can't be right!" Aang says with shock. "How can all the Waterbenders just disappear?"

"Well, they didn't **all **just disappear." Ooka answers. "Unfortunately, all of the most experienced Benders left with a group of soldiers, including Katara's and my father to fight in the..." He stops right at that moment knowing Aang knew nothing of the War with the Fire Nation.

"In the what?" Aang asks him wondering why he stopped.

"I'll tell you later. The point is, Katara and I have no one else left to teach us."

Aang then comes up with an idea.

"What about the North Pole? There's another Water Tribe up there, right? Maybe **they** have Waterbenders who can teach you guys."

"Maybe," Katara begins "But we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly "turn right at the second glacier." It's on the other side of the world."

"But you forget, I have a flying bison! Appa and I can personally fly you to to the North Pole. Katara, Ooka.. We're gonna find you a master!"

While Katara was incredibly excited and grateful for Aang's offer, her face showed a hint of doubt and uncertainty, the same was also said for Ooka.

"That's... I mean.. I don't know. We've never left home before." Katara says to him.

"Don't get us wrong Aang, We really appreciate the offer and we really want to go, but... we've got our family to look after... Katara's grandmother, my mother.. our entire tribe." Ooka says.

"Just throwing my opinion out here," Azula speaks up. "But the Fire Nation pretty much sees the South Pole as a non factor at this point. What with all of the most experienced warriors and benders off in the war, it's very unlikely that they'll ever choose to strike here again."

Katara and Ooka understand her logic, but Aang, still ignorant towards what was going on, was left clueless.

"Hey, that reminds me Aang." Katara says to him. "Since Azula is the current Avatar, and what with you being the only Airbender we know around, would it be possible if you could train Azula in Airbending?"

"First, can you display any form of proof that you're **really** the Avatar?" Aang says to the former Fire Nation princess sceptically.

"Beyond exceptional Firebending, No. The last time I bended another element, it was through instinct. I was at home walking around the cliffs near my house and wasn't paying attention enough to notice that I was about to fall off the edge of one. As I began to fall, I shielded my self with my hands and just waited for it to be over. After 5 seconds went by, I was astonished to find that I was okay. I looked around and saw that I subconsciously Earthbended a slab of rock out from the side of the cliff that broke my fall. A day later, I wound up here."

She appeared to be telling the truth from what Aang could tell, but it still didn't add up. Deep down, he knew **he** was the Avatar. And even if, by some freak of nature, that another was born, how was it that she was born 2 nations forward into the cycle? None of this made any goddamn sense!

"Why is it so hard for you to believe she's the Avatar?" Ooka asks him.

"I don't know... it just seems... unlikely."

Unknown to everybody else, learning the elements were the **last **things on Azula's mind. In the course of just a few days, she had gone from the heir to her country and father's legacy to an outcast and fugitive hiding at the bottom of the world. Had it ever occurred to any of them that she never wanted any of this? What she found probably the most devastating was that her own father, who had always praised her, favorited her and planned for her to take his place, had ordered her imprisonment the second he learned of her identity without giving it a second thought. She thought he **loved** her! At this point now though, the only family she had left in the world was her uncle, whom she had always treated with such disrespect and disregard until he saved her that night. Though he had to part ways with her when they arrived at the South Pole, he had said this was for the best. Allowing her to stay with him and Zuko would no doubt cause suspicion and tension from her older brother, and that eventually, he would soon learn of her identity and be after her too.

"Something wrong, Princess?" Aang asks her noticing her truly troubled expression.

"I'm.. I'm just.." She begins to stammer.

"A little taken back that this is for real?" Aang guesses. Little did they know, Aang all too remembered the stress and changes that came when he discovered he was the Avatar. Or was it **an** Avatar now? It was still all so confusing.

Azula nods sadly.

"Well, I can't exactly force you to learn Airbending if you're not ready yet, but how bout you come sledding with Katara, Ooka and me?"

"You mean... ride around... on one of those?" She says pointing at a nearby penguin.

"You played games back at the palace, didn't you?"

"When I was a little girl, and some of the games I use to play with my friends aren't entirely some you'd find all too interesting." She says remembering the often mischievous and slightly cruel games she played with her "friends".

"You mean Hide and Explode?"

"Ye.. yeah. Sure."

Suddenly, she feels something small and furry rub against her leg. She looks down to see a baby Penguin affectionately rubbing it's head on her leg.

"Aww! He's so cute!" Katara says with a smile.

"Looks like you've got an admirer, Princess." Aang says jokingly while Azula just stares down confused at the little ball of fur looking at her happily.

Then, against her better judgment, she gently picks the penguin up in her hands to examine it.

"Uhh... hello?" She says to it.

It then yawns loudly and curls up into her hands to go to sleep.

This left her utterly confused and shocked that it instantly took a liking to her, **HER**, The once known cold hearted, ruthless daughter of the most feared man in the world. Was this true friendship she felt when held it in her arms? She wouldn't know. She spent all her life controlling people who she forced to be her "friends". Never in all her life, had she experienced this kind of warmth and compassion no strings attached.

"So, you wanna come with us?" Aang asks her.

"I... I guess."

"Cool! Just one question: How exactly do you catch one of these things?"

Katara responds by tossing a fish into the Airbender's hand causing a swarm of Penguins to topple over him.

"I'm okay!" he says muffled over the pile of Penguins on top of him.

* * *

Later, Aang and Katara, followed by Azula and Ooka close by race down the snowy cliffs and slopes on top of their captured Penguins.

Aang then takes a higher route above Katara, causing him to soar above her and landing in front taking the lead.

"I haven't done this since I was a kid!" Katara shouts with joy.

"You still **are **a kid!" Aang says back.

"How you two doing back there!" Katara calls back to Azula and Ooka.

"OH YEAH!" Ooka shouts happily having the time of his life. "THIS IS SO AWESOME! IT'S LIKE A DREAM! IT'S LIKE A DREAM!"

"MORE LIKE A NIGHTMARE!" Azula shouts terrified racing down at fast speeds while the little Penguin clutches tightly to her hair.

The four continue to race and pass through a series of icy tunnels.

Ooka uses this advantage to speed past Azula using the icy paths. Azula, on the other hand, makes a fatal turn which sends her spinning up and down the tunnel repetitively.

"I.. THINK I'M.. GOING.. TO BE... SICK!" She says nauseated.

The little penguin still clutches to her hair making dazed noises while they spin along the tunnel.

Luckily for her, their ride was about to come to an end as the four begin to slow down on the frozen surface.

Aang, Katara and Ooka dismount their penguins letting them leave as they please.

They turn to see Azula and the little penguin slightly dazed and punch drunk from the many twists and spins they took.

"Okay... **Never** doing that again!" She says shaking her head to get a grip.

The four then turn their gaze towards a massive Fire Nation class warship held firm in pillars of ice.

"Whoa." Aang says in pure shock. "What is that?"

"A Fire Navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people." Katara plainly says with a bit of grief.

Azula instantly recognizes what Katara means. This ship must have been part of the final raids on the Southern Water Tribe.

Aang curiously makes his way toward the ship to find an entrance.

"Aang, stop!" Katara says to him. "We're not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby trapped."

"If want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear." He says in response.

Azula takes a step forward to try to talk with Aang, but is set off by a loud crack beneath her. She looks down at her feet for a split second to see the ice below cracking and beginning to loosen. Then in a blink of an eye, the ice gives in, causing her to plummet into the freezing abyss.

"Azula!" Katara shouts in terror.

Right at that moment, Ooka jumps straight into the open mass of water in pursuit of the mortally endangered princess. As he quickly swims through the watery mass around him, he spots Azula struggling to swim back toward the surface. But the shock due to the extremely low temperature of the water proves too much for her body as she slowly begins looses consciousness while the little penguin despreatley tries to pull her to safety.

Using all the strength in his body, Ooka pushes his way through the water toward Azula and the penguin. He then successfully manages to get a hold of her on his back and quickly swims back toward the hole she fell through.

They reach the surface with both of them gasping for air.

Katara and Aang help the two soaked teens up onto solid ground grateful that they both made it out okay.

"Are.. are you ok?" Ooka asks Azula as he holds the shocked Avatar in his arms while she attempts to catch her breath.

"Yeah.. I think so." She says breathing heavily. "No ones.. ever risked their life to.. save me."

"I don't know what kind of person you were before you found out who you are," Ooka begins to say. "But here, now, you're our friend. We protect each other, help one another with our struggles so we become stronger together. And we will risk our lives... to protect our friends and family."

Azula stares toward him with shock and utter amazement. This boy, who she barely knew for a few days, had just risked his own safety and well being to save her life, something that she until previously in her life, would have never done herself for anyone.

Ooka then removes his coat and gives it to the dripping wet girl for her to dry off.

"Thank You, Ooka." Azula says to her savior.

"Don't mention it." He says with a nervous chuckle.

The little penguin then jumps up to Azula and affectionately nuzzles her face in happiness that she was okay as she holds the little bird in her hands.

"So... we were about to explore the ship?" She asks the other three.

"Yeah. Are you still up to going inside?" Aang asks her.

"Truthfully, between spinning around on penguins and nearly drowning, I've kinda had enough excitement for one day. I think I'm going to just head back to the village."

"Hey wait!" Ooka says to her. "I'll go with you, ya know, just to make sure you get back safe, what with the whole "nearly drowning" thing and all."

"Ok. Thanks." She says with a smile as he puts a hand around her shoulder to help her make her way back.

"Just be careful not to set any traps off in there!" She calls out to the other two.

"We'll try our best. See you back home!" Katara says to the two as they watch both them and the penguin head back in the direction of the village.

"Huh." Katara says with a small chuckle. "Ooka sure seems to be fond of Azula, don't you think?"

"He sure does." Aang says also noticing the way he acts around the young female Avatar."Let's go check out that ship."

The two then cautiously make their way up a stairway of ice and into a considerable crack in the ship's hull.

They walk through the almost haunted hallways of the long abandoned ship careful not to set anything off.

They walk through a door way into a room with an assortment of spears and daggers.

"This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran Gran was a little girl." Katara says to Aang whom at the moment had a very hard time comprehending what he now saw. "It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks."

"Ok, back up. I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation, I've never seen **any** war."

"Aang, how long were you in that iceberg?" Katara asks the confused Airbender.

"I don't know... a few days maybe?"

"I think it was more like a hundred years!" Katara says finally putting the pieces together.

"What? That's impossible! Do I look like a hundred twelve year old man to you?" Aang says with disbelief.

"Think about it. The War is a century old. You don't know about it because... somehow.. you were in there that whole time! It's the only explanation."

Aang immediately is overwhelmed with shock and horror toward what he now realized. He was frozen for a hundred years, everyone he ever knew was most likely long gone, and to top it off, a War was going on all over the world, a War which **he** could have prevented if he hadn't run away.

"A hundred years." He says in shock. "I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry, Aang." Katara says as she tries to comfort the out of place Airbender. "Maybe somehow there's a bright side to all of this."

I **did** get to meet you." He says with a smile as she does the same. "And Ooka and Azula too! They're great too, although Azula seemed a little... confused and scared toward something."

"It's probably because she discovered she was the Avatar, though it's kind of a little complicated in her case." Katara says to him.

"What do you mean?"

"From what Gran Gran had told Sokka and I, once Azula had discovered she was the next Avatar, her father, the Fire Lord, had learned as well and had planned to imprison her because of it. Luckily, before he could do that, a group of renegade rebels against the Fire Nation had planned a distraction in order for her to safely escape and make her way here to hide. All her life, she's lived in the lap of luxury and had everything she could ever want, and suddenly she finds out who she is and her own father tries to lock his own daughter away in prison."

"That's horrible!" Aang says in disgust. "Why would he do that to his own child?"

"I think it's because he fears that she could be able to put a stop to the War once and for all."

"Does she **plan to**?" Aang asks.

"I'm not sure. That's for **her **to decide. This is all new and confusing for her right now. While it wouldn't be fair to force her to do this, she may be our only hope at ending this war."

"Yeah, maybe." Aang says to her while wondering how it was possible for another Avatar to exist. And if it **was** true, would the two of them together be enough to help stop this horrid war he had just learned of?

"C'mon. Let's get out of here." Katara says helping Aang to his feet.

They continue their exploration of the ship up to the command tower at the high top.

"Aang, let's head back. This place is creepy." Katara says as the two enter the dark and ominous room.

"Huh?" Aang says in surprise as his foot gets caught around a long transparent string, which then cause a long grated to lower down from the entrance trapping them inside.

"What's that you said about booby traps?" Aang asks nervously.

"That they might cause crap like **this** to happen." Katara answers.

"Good to know."

Suddenly, all of the pipes and tubes within the room start to shake and vibrate uncontrollably while the needles on meters and heat measures begin to skyrocket.

Suddenly, a black smoke begins to fill the room as something gets ready to blow!

"Oh s**t." Aang says moments before a loud firework like sound erupts outside as a flare rocket sours into the air outside and combusts to create a small explosion of light.

"Uh oh. " Aang utters in fear as he and Katara watch the flare from the window inside.

He then quickly spots a small opening in the roof above them big enough for them to escape through.

"Hold on tight!" Aang says to Katara right before grabbing her in his arms and uses his Airbending to jet themselves out on top of the watchtower outside.

* * *

Meanwhile, Prince Zuko watches the signal flare through his telescope begin to fall through the sky and then catches sight of what he most hoped to find, the Avatar leaping down the parts of the abandoned ship and eventually reaching the icy ground.

"The Last Airbender." Zuko says with delight in finally catching sight of his prize that will finally allow him to return home.

"Quite agile for his old age. Wake my Uncle!" He commands to the soldiers present with him. "Tell him... I've found the Avatar... as well as his hiding place." He says anxiously as he watches the two people run across the icy landscape back towards the small and defenseless village which now was in more danger then ever.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

**Immediately**

* * *

The signal flare continues to shine brightly in the twilight sky.

Aang and Katara make their way back to the entrance of the village as Sokka, Ooka, Azula and her penguin, Kanna and the rest of the villagers stand outside watching the flare burn into the atmosphere.

"Yea! Aang's back!" A group of children shout joyfully as they run towards the young Airbender with delight.

Azula and Ooka soon make their way over to the two of them anxious to learn just what had happened.

"You guys okay?" Ooka asks them with worry."We saw the flare and thought something terrible happened."

"We're fine." Katara says reassuring her old friend. "The flare was an accident. An accident that "we" kind of walked into."

The two then look over to see Azula showing a face of frustration and disappointment of some kind.

"So how are you feeling, Azula?" Katara asks changing the subject.

"Well, better then Sokka. Once he saw the flare go up, he completely flipped out and immediately accused Aang of setting it off. He won't shut up about it!"

The group then notice Sokka making his way towards them with an extremely angry look on his face.

"Speaking of which..."

"I knew it!" Sokka says pointing his finger at Aang. "You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?"

"Aang didn't do anything. It was an accident." Katara says in defense.

"And why would he try to signal the Fire Navy to come here?" Azula says to him logically. "They all know there's nothing of worth to them in the South Pole."

"Stay out of this, Azula. This doesn't concern you." Sokka responds to her.

"I'm sorry, WHAT did you say!" She asks angerly while igniting two azure flames in her hands.

"Nothing! Never mind!" Sokka says fearfully realizing the mistake he made talking to her in the manor her did.

"Oookay." Katara says nervously. "Like I was saying, Aang didn't mean to set off the flare."

"Yeah." Aang begins. "We were on a ship and there was this booby trap and.. well, we "boobied" right into it."

"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship." Kanna says scolding her granddaughter. "Now we could all be in danger!"

"Don't blame Katara. **I **led her there." Aang admits. "It's my fault."

"Aha! The traitor confesses!" Sokka says with anger.

"Will you SHUT UP!" Azula shouts loosing her patience with the loud mouthed and annoying warrior.

Sokka's face then turns worried as if he was fearing for his life, which might have been the case.

"Uhhh... where was I? Oh yeah! Banishment. Warriors, away from the enemy. The foreigner is banished from our village."

The children sadly obey him and begin to walk back towards the other villagers.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake." Ooka says trying to talk some sense into his friend.

"Wait, now **you're **against me too, Ooka?"

"I'm not against **anyone**! But what I am against is you're harsh treatment of Aang all because of the fact that he's different from you! All he's done since the moment he got here was try to make friends with you and the other villagers and you constantly keep putting him down because of you're paranoid beliefs that he's a spy for the Fire Nation."

"Ooka..." Sokka says a little hurt by his words. "I'm your friend."

"Well Aang is my friend too. Sokka, I know you're just trying to keep your promise to your dad to keep us safe, but listen to me when I say that Aang is not our enemy. He's brought us something we haven't had in a long time... fun."

"Fun? We can't fight Firebenders with **fun**!"

"You should try it sometime." Aang says to him.

"And he's also brought hope. Aang, for all we know, could be the Last Airbender on Earth, and that means he may be the only person in the world who can teach Azula Airbending."

Azula then at that moment finally decides to interject and tell her feelings on this whole matter.

"I'm sorry, you guys seem to be forgetting one crucial element about this." She says to Ooka.

"What's that?" He asks.

"**My** feelings on this whole mess! Did any of you ever stop to think that maybe I never wanted any of this, that I was fine with the life I had before all this happened? I had everything I could ever want, I was a princess who would soon take her father's place as ruler of her country, and now in the course of a few short days of finding out I'm the goddamn Avatar, my father tries to have me thrown in jail, when I never had done anything to go against him in the first place! Now I'm suddenly forced to throw away everything I've ever known to fulfill some "destiny" of mine that I never even asked for! You all keep saying that it's the Avatar's duty to help bring peace and balance to the world, but what if I don't want **to be** the Avatar?"

Everyone but Aang is shocked by these sudden and unexpected words.

Azula herself then shows a look of regret toward saying what she had just said.

"It's not I'm not grateful to you all for taking me in, especially since I had nowhere else to go, or to you Ooka, for saving me from drowning, it's just... I'm just..."

"Confused." Aang says abruptly finishing her thought to which she nods quietly. "You're upset that everything in your life has changed, I understand, more than you know, but running away from your problems isn't going to solve the issue. If anything, it'll make it worse. This is something that you need to confront in order to come to peace with your new identity. And maybe, it's for the best, not just for the world, but for yourself. Maybe it'll allow you to see things from another perspective."

After hearing the young Airbender's wise advice, she realizes that part of what he had said was true. No matter how hard she tried to deny that it wasn't true, she **was **the Avatar. She still was unsure about her so called "destiny", but this was one thing she had to come to terms with if was ever to truly move on in her life.

"Thank You Aang." She says to him with gratitude. "But I have to know, why does this matter to you?"

"Because I know what it's like to have your life change in ways you didn't hope for, and having to abandon everything you knew."

"Umm, I hate to interrupt Avatar therapy time over here, but we kind of have our home to protect from invasion!" Sokka shouts to the two. "So is he banished or not?"

The four then turn to Kanna for a reply.

"I'm sorry Katara, but you knew going on that ship was forbidden, and as much as it pains me to say it... I think it best if the Airbender leaves." She replies with a slightly sad look.

"Fine! Then **we're **banished too! C'mon guys, let's go." Katara says angerly as she takes Aang and Ooka by their arms toward Appa.

"Um, where are we going to exactly?" Ooka asks confused.

"Where do you think? To find a Waterbender. Aang is taking us to the North Pole, remember?"

"We never fully discussed that yet!" Ooka shouts to his upset friend. "Plus, we can't just leave our home and family with The Fire Nation about to invade! They won't stand a a chance without our help, no offense Sokka."

"Gee, thanks a lot." Sokka says sarcasticly.

"But, what about Azula? If Aang leaves, who will teach her Airbending?"

Azula then makes her way toward the three of them as she says this.

"That's for Azula to decide. No one can choose another's path for them." Aang answers.

Azula is considering to go with the young Airbender, but then takes a look back at the group of villagers and children watching them, waiting to see what they will decide. Azula then comes to her conclusion. "I can't leave them, not after all they did for me. If I leave, they'll have no chance. I might be the only one who can help combat against the invaders."

"**WHAT ABOUT ME!**"

"**SHUT UP, SOKKA!**"

"Well, then if you're staying to fight, so am I. This is what our warriors and my dad would have wanted." Ooka says making up his mind.

"So... this is goodbye?" Katara says sadly with tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"I guess so." Aang says sadly. "I don't want to be a danger to you or your family. I'm.. going to miss you."

Katara's face then turns even sadder as Ooka and Azula look on also saddened to see their new friend leave.

"Thanks for penguin sledding with me." Aang says to her.

"Where will you go?" She asks him.

"Guess I'll go back home and look for the Airbenders."

A thought then comes across his mind for a moment.

"Wow. I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that."

Aang then rises into the air and lands upon Appa's head clutching the reins. "It was nice meeting everyone!" He says to the villagers.

"Let's see your bison fly **now**, Air Boy." Sokka says insulting causing Azula to glare back at him angerly.

"C'mon Appa. You can do it. Yip Yip!"

Unfortunately, Appa **still **appears to be too tired to fly.

"Yeah, I thought so." Sokka insults yet again.

Just then, a little girl cries out in sadness seeing Aang leave and runs over to where Appa stood.

"Aang, don't go. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." He sadly replies taking one last look at Katara before setting off. "C'mon, boy."

The two then walk off into the distance across the vast landscape of snow and ice leaving the little girl to sadly sulk back home as Kanna goes to comfort her heartbroken granddaughter.

"Katara, I know you're sad about th.."

"You happy now?" Katara interrupts angerly. "There goes our one chance at Ooka and I becoming Waterbenders! Even after that kind advice Aang gave to Azula, you **still **choose to send him away! **I HATE YOU!**"

She then storms of angerly leaving Kanna hurt by these harsh words.

"Ya know," Ooka begins to say getting her attention. "I had always respected you for being one of the wisest and kindest in our village, always lending a hand to those in need. But after what just happened now... I'm beginning to wonder if that's true."

He then takes his leave back into the village to prepare for battle leaving Azula and her alone together in the now colder than ever winds of dusk.

"Alright. Ready our defenses." Sokka says rallying his "soldiers" to prepare for battle. "The Fire Nation could be on our shores any moment now."

"But I gotta..."

"and **no POTTY BREAKS!**"

* * *

Far off into the icy terrain of the South Pole, Aang and Appa take a moments rest cradled in two circular holes carved into an ice formation.

Appa lets out a quiet and almost saddened growl toward his master and friend.

"Yeah, I liked her too." Aang says sadly still remembering the heartbreak it brought him from having to leave the beautiful Southern Tribe girl whom he'd only known for two days.

Suddenly, he gasps in fear as something gliding across the sea in the distance catches his gaze; A small Fire Navy class ship slowly headed in the direction of the village.

"The Village!" Aang says with mounting fear.

Deciding to do what he knew was right, he jumps down from the hole and slides down to the icy ground beneath him.

"Appa, wait here." He says to his half awake animal companion and quickly proceeds back toward the mortally endangered tribe.

* * *

Back inside a small cloth tent, Sokka begins to prepare for when the Fire Nation begin their assault on the tribe.

After readying his weapons and armor, he adorns traditional Water Tribe face paint on his face as a sign of courage and determination.

* * *

Meanwhile aboard the ship, Prince Zuko also prepares for when his ship invades the village thought to harbor the Avatar.

His soldiers help fit his battle armor onto his body and finally place a steel helmet onto the determined prince's head.

* * *

In the cold and tense arctic air, Sokka stands watch atop the walls made of ice that border the tribe, ready to defend his home and family at all costs. Azula, Katara and Ooka also stand by in the borders of the village making sure to not let any invading soldiers cause harm to any of the villagers. Katara assumes a battle stance in order to focus her bending as Azula does the same, while Ooka, still not experienced enough to use his Bending in combat, opts to use his spear instead. Azula then places the hood on her red cloak over her head to conceal her face in case the soldiers would recognize her, Avatar or not.

Suddenly, a loud earth splitting rumble begins to to shake the ground in the entire tribe.

This in turn causes Sokka's newly rebuilt watchtower to fall apart once again.

"Oh, c'mon!" He yells in frustration.

The villagers then begin to run for safety in panic and fear as Katara gazes up in pure horror.

The shape of a massive metal ship begins to appear out from the concealing fog as Sokka looks on frozen in terror.

"Oh man." He utters in fear as the massive metal monster continues to move forward in it's path of destruction.

Just as Katara manages to get Kanna and several others into the safety of a tent, she gaps in terror to see a small boy frozen with shock as the ice begins to break in his direction. Luckily, she quickly grabs him up in her arms and runs away just as the ice splits where they once stood.

"**SOKKA**!" She screams to her older brother still perched on the collapsing wall. "**GET OUT OF THE WAY!**"

The ships arrives close enough to push Sokka away from it's hull with him still standing in a battle position a few feet away.

Suddenly, a loud hiss of steam and exhaust appears to escapes through the cracks of the ship as the members of the tribe look on in fear and uncertainty. The long metal gang plank begins to lower onto the icy surface below for the second time this week. Then, through the fog of the steam released, a male figure around 16 years old dressed in Fire Nation battle armor with a scar on his right eye followed by two basic class soldiers both wearing armor of the same kind make their way down the plank of the ship.

Sokka then screams a loud (if not annoying) battle cry and runs forward with his boomerang to attack, only to have the main soldier kick the boomerang out of his hand and then kick him into a mound of snow.

The scarred soldier then begins to make an observation of the village around him as if he was searching for some one. Only when he meets face to face with Kanna does he begin to speak.

"Where are you hiding him?" He asks in a demanding tone.

Azula at this time, hides among the villagers while getting a look at the all too familiar soldier.

This, was her older brother, Prince Zuko, the man who had been banished for almost 3 years by his and her father who now searched the world for the Avatar to regain his honor among his nation, who in this case, was her.

Zuko then suddenly grabs a hold of Kanna in the crowd, holding her hood firmly in his hand.

"You will come now..." He shouts all around the tribe "if you don't want her to be harmed."

Upon seeing Kanna at the mercy of her brother, Azula realizes no other alternative and begins to speak up.

"Zuko!"

The princes head jerks quickly upon hearing the last voice he'd expect to here.

His gaze then meets a small being dressed in a red hooded cloak making its way through the crowd of terrified villagers. The figure removes the hood covering its face which then confirms Zuko's worst fears. His sister, had found her way here as well.

"Azula." He says coldly staring into the amber eyes of the one who caused him humiliation and anger for so much of his life.

"So," She begins to say "You know."

"Yes, I do, and apparently, so do you." He answers letting go of Kanna as she rushes back to safety with Katara. "I don't know how you managed to find your way here so quickly, or how you found out he's here,"

These last few words catch Azula completely by surprise. He wasn't after her?

"But I am not about to let you walk away with him!" Zuko finishes getting into a battle ready position.

"What are you talking about?" Azula asks genuinely confused.

"Don't play dumb with me! We both know the Avatar is somewhere in the village, but** I'M** the one who's walking away with him."

Azula's eyes widen in surprise and relief. _"He hasn't found out about it yet." _she thinks to herself. _"Yet, why does he still think the Avatar is here?"_

Her thoughts are then cut off as Sokka once again runs to attack, this time from behind Zuko. He simply responds by lifting his leg out and tripping him onto the snowy ground.

"Nice shot." Azula says to him. "He was getting on my nerves."

"Uhh... thank you, I think?" Zuko says a little confused. "I'm guessing you don't know where he is either?"

"Not anymore than you do." Azula says lying.

Just then, a blur of black, white and orange races from out of nowhere right behind Zuko knocking him into the air and landing him head first into the ground with his helmet landing on his butt.

The children then erupt into cheers and applause as the watch Aang slide around on an Otter-Penguin.

The penguin then lurches itself off of the young Airbender and waddles off.

"Hey Katara, Ooka, Sokka"

"Hi, Aang." Sokka says with reluctance. "Thanks for coming."

"Does this mean he's "unbanished" now?" Katara says to him.

"Don't push it." Sokka says irritably in response.

They then turn their attention back toward Zuko who begins to pick himself up as he stares at the young Airbender. He then raises his hands signaling for the soldiers around him to surround Aang which they obey as he gets into a battle stance. Aang then raises his staff in a defensive position as the soldiers begin to surround him on all sides.

"_What are they doing?" _Azula asks herself. _"Why are they all focusing their attacks on Aang? Unless..." _

Her thoughts are cut off as Aang summons a surge of wind on all sides which blows a flurry of snow toward the surrounding soldiers, knocking all but Zuko onto the ground.

"Looking for me?" Aang says to the banished prince.

"_No. It can't be." _Azula thinks in shock.

"You're the Airbender?" Zuko says with equal surprise. "You're the Avatar?"

"Aang?" Katara says just as shocked as everyone else.

"No way." Sokka utters in surprise.

"But that's impossible." Ooka says.

"_How can this be?" _Azula thinks. _"There can't be two Avatar at the same time! And why does Zuko think he's..." _

Suddenly it all begins to click! She instantly remembers why there was no entry about the next Fire Avatar in her history book. How could she have forgot? Her father had personally announced to the Fire Nation that at the time of the next Fire Avatar's birth, he had sent agents around the country to search for the child and exterminate it, which he said they succeeded in.

"_Zuko must think that Aang is the Avatar whom was reincarnated from the one who was killed, only __**that one**__, is me."_

At this point, Aang and Zuko begin to circle around each other, both getting ready to repel the others attacks.

"I've spent years preparing for this encounter," Zuko says while keeping a close eye on Azula in case she tries to launch a sneak attack. "Training, Meditating, You're just a child."

"Well, you're just a teenager." Aang replies.

Zuko then releases two shots of fire from his hands attempting to knock him down. Aang then spins his staff around in a circular type motion which neutralizes the flames. This process is repeated about several times until Aang accidentally blows the flames dangerously close to the scared and terrified villagers, at which point, Aang ceases his staffs.

"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" He says to Zuko.

The prince nods his head in agreement. He then turns his focus toward his sister expecting her to try and make an attempt to grab him for herself.

"And you, sister?" Zuko says to her.

Despite this being the last thing she'd expect him to expect her to say, she simply replies "Nothing, he's all yours."

Zuko's eyes widen in pure surprise upon hearing these words. "Wait, why? Why are you just letting me take?"

"Do I need a reason to be nice to you, Zuko? You have the Avatar, and I'm not going to fight you for him. Simple as that."

At that moment, she notices her uncle standing by Zuko side looking toward his niece.

"Hello, Uncle. It's good to see you after so long." She says covering exactly how long ago they had just seen each other.

"The same to you, my niece." Iroh says also covering his tracks. "I suppose your father sent you out here to the South Pole, no doubt for some type of arctic training session to prepare for an invasion of the North Pole?"

Azula then gets the idea of what he's trying to do.

"Yes, it's going pretty well, thank you very much." She says playing along. "I've been surviving out in the area for going on a month now and have made a great amount of progress. I've also been instructed to bring no soldiers or luxuries of any kind with me in order to manage to survive on my own."

"So, your **not **here because of the light that occurred yesterday or the Avatar?" Zuko asks.

"To be completely honest with you Zuko," Azula says for once **really **being honest with him "Up until now, I had no idea this boy was an Avatar of any kind. It makes sense though, what with him being an Airbender, and with dad's message. Like I said before though, I'm not going to try and fight you for him. I think it's time **you **had your time in the sun with father for once, or would you rather I just take him for myself while I still can?"

Zuko looks into his sisters eyes for anything that might prove otherwise, but found none.

"Alright, I'll trust you, for now. But if I find out that this is some type of trick..."

"Hey guys!" Aang interrupts " Hate to interrupt, but are we gonna get going here or not?"

The soldiers then take hold of Aang and proceed back toward the gangplank.

"No, Aang!" Katara cries out. "Don't do this!"

"Don't worry Katara. It'll be okay."

"By the way brother," Azula says addressing Zuko. "If it isn't too much of an inconvenience, would you mind if I accompany you and Uncle back home? Unfortunately, I have no way back myself or a way to call for help."

This leaves the prince at a loss of what to say in response.

"If I may say so, nephew," Iroh says speaking up. "I sense no ill intention from your sister, and seeing as though she was not here for the same reason you are here, it would only be polite."

Zuko then takes another look back at his sister. He wasn't sure about this, after all the things she had done to him as a child, all the things she stole from him, yet he sensed she was telling the truth about the Avatar, and he trusted his uncle's judgment.

"Very well." He agrees as he makes his way back up the gangplank "But don't get in my way."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Zu-Zu." She says calling him by the childhood nickname she always used.

"I don't know about about you, but I'm ready for a huge feast in our honor when we get home." Iroh says with a smile.

"Oh Uncle, you'd be hungry enough to eat a flying bison, if any were still around that is." She then turns toward Katara with a wink in her direction, letting her know what she had in mind.

She, Sokka and Ooka along with the other villagers watch as both Avatars walk up the long metal ramp with the Fire Nation Prince and General.

"Take care of Appa for me until I get back!" Aang says to Katara.

The little penguin Azula had found looks on in sadness to see his friend having to leave.

"Head a course for the Fire Nation, I'm... I mean **we're**, going home." He says noticing Azula and Iroh.

Katara with tears in her eyes looks on at her two beloved friends as the ramp to the ship begins close.

* * *

A large gaping trench is left from where the Fire Nation ship once sailed.

The villagers attempt to make repairs toward everything that was damaged in the invasion of their tribe. Some are seen assessing the damage of Sokka's watchtower while others along with children try to fix broken tents and houses.

Out near the trench in the ice, Katara and Ooka stare off into the ocean, reflecting on the events that took place several hours ago. Sokka, meanwhile is seen behind them preparing supplies for some unknown reason.

"She was lying." Ooka says breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Sokka asks.

"She was lying when she said she didn't where the Avatar was. She knew that Zuko didn't know she was the, or in this case **an **Avatar, and wanted to play along."

"That's just it though," Katara speaks up. "How can we be sure Aang really **is **an Avatar? It's just not possible."

"If it is true, Aang and Azula are probably just as confused as we are." Ooka replies.

"Well, Avatar or not, We have to help him. I know Azula tried to get on the ship to help Aang escape, but we have to go help to make sure they succeed. They helped save our tribe, now **we **need to do the same for them."

"Katara..." Sokka begins to say.

"Why can't you realize he's on our side?" She continues.

"Umm... Katara?" Ooka says taking a look at what Sokka is doing.

"If we don't help him, no one will. I know you don't like Aang, but we owe him and.."

"**KATARA!**" Both boys shout to get her attention.

"Are you gonna talk all day or are you coming with us?" Sokka says revealing a wooden boat big enough to house the three of them.

Katara eyes light up with joy as she runs over to hug her brother in gratitude. "Get in. We're going to save Azula and your boyfriend." "He's not my..." "Whatever."

"What do you three think your doing?"

All three turn around to see Kanna facing them.

"You'll need these." She says handing them bundles of sleeping bags. "You have a long journey ahead of you."

The three remain dumbstruck as Kanna walks toward them.

"It's been so long since I've had hope, but you brought it back to life, my little Waterbender." She says giving her granddaughter one last hug.

"I'm sorry about what I said before." Katara says sadly.

"No, I'm sorry, sorry I never got the chance to tell something. I knew that Aang as an Airbender would not have enough fighting experience to help us fight, but I also knew that he needed to be safe so that Azula can be taught by him one day. I sent him away to **protect **him. And I'm sorry I hurt you because of that. And you, my brave warrior," She says turning to her grandson. "Be nice to your sister." She then goes to give him one final hug as well. "Yeah, okay gran." He says trying not to get too sentimental. She finally turns to face Ooka.

"You remind me so much of your father when he was your age, anxious, fearful, unsure if he had what it took to be a true warrior, but like you, he was also, brave, resourceful, intelligent and had a heart of a Lion Turtle. You'll make him and your tribe proud, Ooka. This I am sure of." She then says something to him out of earshot of Katara and Sokka for a moment. "And don't worry about her. If it is real, it will find a way." She concludes giving Ooka a smile of joy and confidence. "Speaking of which.." She says pulling something out of her coat. She then holds Azula's penguin snugly in her hands. "Hey! It's the little penguin Azula found." "Yes. I have a feeling she'll want him back soon." She says gently handing him to Ooka.

"Aang **is **the Avatar, and so is Azula. How this is possible, I do not know, but I **do **know that they are the worlds only chance. You both found him for a reason, now your destines are intertwined with theirs."

"Wait, what about you and the rest of the tribe?" Katara asks. "Who's going to protect you once we leave?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kanna says abruptly. "This place is a dump! Why would anyone wanna come here, to build snowmen?"

Suddenly, Katara comes to a realization. "There's no way we're gonna catch a warship with a canoe."

"Oh c'mon!" Sokka protests. "Do you know how long it took me to build that boat? How many hours I spent slaving over it to make sure we could go help Aang and Azula?"

"You spent like 20 minutes tops on that thing." Ooka says.

"Ya know, you're not helping." Sokka says back.

Suddenly, they hear a loud animal like grumble off in the distance. They then see, as if on cue, Appa slowly walking over in their direction.

"Appa!" Katara says running towards their furry salvation.

"You just love taking me out my comfort zone, don't you?" Sokka says sarcasticly.

"What comfort zone?" Ooka asks.

"Exactly."

* * *

As the Fire Nation ship makes haste towards it's destination at the Fire Nation capitol, Zuko, Iroh, Azula, Aang and a couple soldiers meet at the deck of the ship, for some reason.

"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." Zuko says holding the Airbending relic in his hands. "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks."

"Hey! I take offense to that." Aang say angerly . "I'll have you know I was very close to my mother and father and spent a lot of time together as a family."

"Oh." Zuko says in embarrassment. "I guess I owe you an apology then."

"Ok then. I forgive you."

"I'm still taking your staff though."

"Crap."

"Take the Avatar to the prison hold and take **this **to my quarters." He says to his uncle handing him the staff. Iroh however just looks to him with a stern look on his face.

"Ughhh. **Please **take this to my quarters?" Zuko says to his uncle.

Iroh nods as he take the staff from his nephew as he walks off.

"Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?" He says to a nearby soldier handing him the staff.

The two soldiers next to Aang take him down one level en route to the prison hold.

Zuko then looks over to his sister wondering what to do her arrangements aboard the ship.

"I suppose you can... room with me." he says chocking down the last three words. "Just until we find other arrangements later on."

"_Not like it's going to matter for much longer." _Azula thinks to herself. "So how ago was it when you last heard news from dad?" Azula asks him trying to make sure he hadn't received any news about her "escape".

"I haven't heard from him once since I left home. I thought **you **of all people would know that. But then again, you were held up in the South Pole for one month straight."

"And glad to be out of there, by the way. Eating nothing but raw fish might have given me a stomach infection." Azula says.

"Right." Zuko says awkwardly. "Anyway, I'll show where you'll be staying."

The two then leave the deck to do just that.

* * *

Aang sits miserably on the cold metal seat in the dark dungeon cell which he had been placed in. Normally, he would have attempted to escape while being carried here, get his staff and leave, but seeing as Azula had managed to trick her brother into letting her come along with them, he assumed she had an escape plan in mind. For both his sake and everyone in the world, he'd hoped it was true.

Just then, a loud creaking at the front of the room occurs as the metal door to the room opens. Aang's face turns to one of relief as he sees Azula making her way towards him.

"Azula." He says in happiness to see the Fire Nation princess come to his rescue.

"Shh." She says with her finger to her mouth. "We don't have a lot of time and we can't let anyone know I'm here." She says taking a ring of keys out from her pocket.

"Where'd you get those?"

"From a magic dragon. I snuck them from the guard when his back was turned, where do you think?" She says finding the right key and using it to open the door to his cell.

"Well **that** was uncalled for." Aang says a little insulted taking a step out of the cell.

"Alright, now that your free, start talking. Why didn't you tell any of us that you're also an Avatar? And how is it even remotely possible for two to exist at the same?"

"Well firstly, before I met you," Aang begins. "Because I didn't **want **anyone to know I was the Avatar. Like you, I never even wanted to be one. And secondly, If I told you guys I was also a **second **Avatar, you would have just thought I was crazy."

"Yeah, like we wouldn't believe a 100 year old Airbender who was frozen in an iceberg for a hundred years if he said that."

"And about how we're both Avatar's being alive at the same time, I'm just as lost as you are. Between the fact that I just learned that I was frozen in a block of ice for a hundred years while a war with the Fire Nation has been going on, I really don't **what **to believe anymore."

"Well **believe me** when I say that I'm going to help you get off this ship. Remember what I said back at the tribe about a "flying bison"?"

"That's right! Appa's still back with Katara and the others."

"Exactly, assuming you were telling the truth about Appa being able to fly, they'll be coming along any minute now to help us escape, but only if we stop talking and get moving quick."

" Just one last question. Why are you doing this for me?" Aang asks her.

"Well for starters, you didn't rat me out when Zuko assumed **you** were the Avatar instead of me, and because maybe, we might be able to help each, what with both of us being the only two of our kind in the world."

"You're still not sure about you learning the other elements, are you?" Aang says to her.

"I don't know, but I **do **know If we don't get moving soon, neither of us will get the chance to."

"Can't argue with that." Aang says in agreement. "But we need to get my staff back before we get off of this thing."

"Can't you just leave it here and build a** new one**?" Azula says with sort of a wine in her voice.

"It's one of my last ties to my family from a hundred years ago and the only way we''ll get off this ship in case Appa **still **isn't able to fly. You tell me."

Azula then lets out of a sigh of defeat. "Follow me, I know where it is."

The two exit the cold prison cell and carefully head off to Prince Zuko's personal quarters.

* * *

Katara, Sokka and Ooka make little to no progress while they ride on Appa, slowly gliding through the icy water.

"Go." Sokka says trying to motivate him to fly, but as usual, not succeeding."Fly. Soar."

"Please, Appa." Katara says to the gentle giant. "We need your help. Aang and Azula need your help."

"Up. Ascend. Elevate. **SOMETHING**." Sokka continues to says getting irritated.

Ooka then decides to give it a try at motivating him. "Sokka doesn't believe you can fly, but Katara and I **do**. C'mon. Don't you want to save Azula?... oh! And Aang. Aang too?" Katara and Sokka look at him with weird looks as he blushes slightly.

"Anyways..." Sokka says. "What was it that kid said? Yee Ha? Hup Hup? Wahoo? Uh... Yip Yip?"

A second after Sokka utters these two words, Appa begins to shake with great force and power. Then with a large swish of his tail, he miraculously begins to rise through the air and soars though the sky with great ease and power.

"You did it, Sokka!" Katara shouts to him in joy.

"**HE'S FLYING!**" Sokka shouts in pure amazement. "**HE'S FLYING! KATARA, OOKA, HE'S**..."

He then sees the looks of smugness and "I Told You So" on their faces.

"I mean, big deal. He's flying."

Appa then begins to race through the sky at unprecedented speeds to catch up with the ship holding his two friends.

* * *

Aang and Azula carefully sneak down the metal hallways of the ship on their way towards Zuko's room.

"So, that angry guy with the scar on his eye was your brother?" Aang asks quietly.

"Yeah, big brother Zu-Zu. Father's least favorite child, though I don't if that's still true now with me being the Avatar."

"**An **Avatar."

"Whatever. Look let's just go get your staff and get..." They're cut off by the sound of steps coming from around the corner. The guards then make their way towards where they stood, yet somehow, the two of them had disappeared. Closer observation then reveals the two of them holding themselves up into the ceiling (Or whatever you call it). Unfortunately, Aang unintentionally lets out a drop of sweat from his face which plops to the ground loudly.

"What was that?" one of the guards says turning around giving the two of them looks of concern.

"Nah, it's just a leak from the pipes." The other guard responds. "Prince **Scarface **is too cheap to get them fixed once every year."

"I know. The guy's a total douche. And have you heard him rant about his issues with his dad? "Oh, my father doesn't love me. I have to capture the Avatar to win him back and restore my honor. Blah, blah blah, who gives a f**k!"

The two laugh loudly and head off leaving Aang and Azula alone again.

"Restore his honor?" Aang asks her confused.

"Staff now, talk later." Azula responds.

The two then jump down from the ceiling, land safely on their feet and continue with their primary objective.

* * *

In the Mess Hall of the ship, (Yes, the ship has a Mess Hall in my book, deal with it.) Zuko sits down at a table by himself with a plate of rice, chicken and watermelon juice. (Just making this up as I go along.)

The good news about this day was that he had finally captured the Avatar and was on his way home to deliver him to his father and finally regain his respect and love, the bad news, his **sister **was with him.

"_I suppose he __**would **__be grateful for bringing her back safe and sound for him as a bonus for capturing the Avatar," _He thought to himself while eating. _"But what I can't understand is why she decided to let me have him. The Azula I know would __**never**__ try to do something nice for me, even if I __**did **__deserve it for once. This doesn't add up."_

Right about then, a soldier makes his way towards the prince's table. "Prince Zuko, urgent message from your father, Fire Lord Ozai." Zuko jerks his head back upon hearing his father's name.

"_My father?" _He thinks in surprise. _"He must have already heard of my capture and wanted to congratulate me ahead of time, but that was pretty fast." _He takes the note from the soldier's hands and begins to read. But the words written are the last he'd ever expect to see...

**Prince Zuko,**

**It might both interest and shock you to know what I am about to reveal to you. No doubt you haven't heard of it yet seeing how far you stray away from the homeland in your search for the Avatar. Yet it's precisely this subject that compels me to send this message to you. About 2 days ago, one of the scouts at the Royal Palace had informed me of news most shocking and disturbing. They had reported to me that they had observed your sister, Azula walking around the cliffs that border the palace. **

This one line caught Zuko completely off guard. Azula said she had been at the South Pole for almost a month on some arctic training session! No surprise that she lied to him. He kept reading anyways.

**The scout had reported that Azula was not paying attention to where she was going and came extremely close to falling off the edge of the cliff, but as she began to fall, she covered herself from the fall and at that moment, a slab of earth protruded from the side of the cliff breaking her fall. She, had Earthbended.**

Zuko's eyes widen upon reading this line.

**To put it simply, my son, it turns out your younger sister... is the next Avatar.**

Zuko immediately spits out the food in his mouth in the most shock he had ever received in his life. Despite hearing this mind bending piece of information, he kept reading.

**The reason I choose to tell you this is because about five hours after I learned this, a group of Firebending and Earthbending rebels launched a surprise attack on the Royal Plaza. By the time the battle had ended and the rebels had retreated, Azula had escaped before I had the chance to imprison her. You are probably wondering why I chose to do this to her. The reason stands that as she is now the only being that stands in the way of the Fire Nation achieving victory in the war once and for all, she must be put down at all costs. You no doubt remember the message I gave to our people at the time of your sister's birth stating that our agents had found the next Fire Avatar and eliminated him before he could pose a threat and that the cycle was broken as all the Air Nomads were extinct. This was a lie, a ruse to calm our people's anxieties about the Avatar returning to stop us. But know that she has returned in the form of your sister, you are now placed of higher worth above this traitor to our family and nation. If by some chance you are ****able to capture her and bring her to me, you will take your place as heir to the throne once again and be remembered throughout history as the man who helped win the War once and for all. I have faith in you, Prince Zuko. I know you will not disappoint me.**

**Your father,**

**Fire Lord Ozai.**

Choosing to act immediately upon the news he had received, he jolts from his seat and heads toward his quarters.

* * *

The two Avatars had finally reached their destination and found the princes personal quarters with the door wide open.

Aang then spots the long wooden object that he had longed to find.

"My staff!" He cries out in joy as he runs into the room to fetch it.

"Great, you found the staff, now grab it so we can go." Azula says walking into the room where the young Air Avatar stood.

Suddenly, the door behind them slams with a lock and reveals Prince Zuko on the other side.

"Nobody's going **anywhere**." He says preparing a battle stance as Aang and Azula do the same.

"Looks like I underestimated you. **Both **of you."

"So I lied to you about letting you have the Avatar for yourself." Azula says thinking on her feet. "It's not the first time I lied to you."

"It's also not the **only **thing you lied about." Zuko says pulling out the letter he received from his father. "Message from our father. Take a guess at what he said." Azula's eyes begin to widen with fear.

Aang then quickly uses his Airbending to quickly move the bed on the floor right where Zuko stood, causing his to be slammed head first into the hard metal wall. He repeats this again, this time launching the bed at the ceiling. The bed falls to the ground as prince then looses conciseness.

"GO!" he yells to Azula.

Not needing to be told twice, the two Avatar's race out of the room.

* * *

The two burst through the navigation tower through a pipe leading to the room using Aang's Airbending.

Aang then spots a clear opening with the front door wide open.

"Get ready to grab on when I say so!" Aang says to Azula.

The two then sprint towards the door and race outside into the open air.

"NOW!" Aang says to Azula.

She then grabs a hold of him just as he releases his staff into the air. Aang then jumps into the air with Azula still clutching onto him and then the two off them... plummet quickly out of the air and land on the hard floor of deck all while Prince Zuko spots the two of them a little confused at what he just saw.

"That must have hurt." He says to himself as he runs back inside to make his way there.

"Okay, what the hell!" Azula says slightly in pain. "I thought you said this thing was our only way off."

"I thought you wouldn't accumulate much weight to the glider and that we could fly out of here." Aang says clutching his aching back.

"So you're saying it's **my **fault?"

"I never said that!"

"You might as well have!"

The two of then turn to see Prince Zuko staring at them.

"Great. This is just great. Is **any** part of this day going to go right at all?"

Just then, the three of them hear a loud animal like roar from behind them.

"What is that?" Zuko says surprised seeing Appa flying straight towards the ship.

"Appa!" Aang says in delight to see his friend finally flying.

"What do you know? He really **can **fly." Azula says in amazement.

Zuko then takes advantage of Aang's distraction and fires a deadly shot of flames at the young Airbender. He manages to block it by spinning his staff as usual, but is pushed back a fair distance right to the edge of the boat.

Azula, deciding to finally take action, jumps from her position and drop kicks down in front of Zuko sending flames in its wake. Despite this, Zuko launches one more larger blast of flames knocking Aang's staff out of his hands and pushing him off the edge of the ship into the water below.

"Aang! No!" Katara shouts in fear upon seeing what just happened.

Azula looks to the spot where her friend once stood, closing her eyes letting shock and anger overcome her entire being while Aang continues to sink in the freezing water with Katara despreatley calling out to him.

"Aang! Aang! **AANG!**"

At this point, both Aang and Azula's eyes simultaneously begin to glow a wispy white.

Aang begins to Waterbend a spiral of water carrying out above the surface and high into the air while Azula meanwhile, begins to Airbend a giant funnel of air by twirling her fingertips in a circular type motion.

Aang then lands himself back onto the deck while Waterbending the giant funnel of water along with him all while Zuko and several soldiers look on grimly.

The two Avatars then combine their separate funnels of elements causing the swirling vortex of water to collide into the numerous soldiers and Zuko knocking them all to the ground, save Zuko who seems to fall of the edge of the boat while Katara and the other look on in total awe.

"Did you see what they just did?" Katara says in pure shock.

"Now **that **was some Air and Waterbending." Sokka says in equal surprise.

"Guess we can put that 2 Avatar problem to rest now, huh?" Ooka says to the two of them as they fly towards deck of the ship just as Aang and Azula begin to stop glowing and fall gently onto the ground.

"Aang! Azula!" Katara calls out to the two half awake Avatars.

"You guys okay?" Ooka calls to them as well.

"Hey Katara." Aang says weakly. "Sokka, Ooka."

"Thanks for coming." Azula says equally tired.

"Well, I couldn't let you guys have all the glory." Sokka says boastingly.

"I dropped my staff." Aang says looking in the direction of his wooden glider.

"Got it!" Sokka says running to get it for him, but just as he picks it up, a hand reaches to grab it as well, Prince Zuko's hand!

The two struggle to free it from each others grip, but Sokka, thinking ahead, pokes Zuko in the head three times causing him to lose his grip and tumble further down the ship, but quickly manages to grab on to the anchor chain before falling into the water.

"Ah! That's from the water tribe, you scarfaced son of a..."

"Uh, Sokka? We've got company!" Ooka interrupts seeing the soldiers who were knocked over by Aang and Azula's previous attack rise up again.

Katara then attempts to bend the water around her in defense, giving the soldiers concerned and superstitious looks. These looks quickly fade when instead of freezing them, she accidentally freezes Sokka to the floor of the deck.

"Katara! Whose side are you on?" He shouts in frustration.

Katara then tries again, this time with Ooka assisting her, after which they successfully manage to freeze the soldiers dead in their tracks.

Katara climbs back on top of Appa while Ooka goes to help unpry Sokka from the ice.

"I'm just a guy with a boomerang." Sokka complains while banging is boomerang on the ice as Ooka does the same with his spear. "I didn't ask for all this flying and magic."

"Ya know, how bout you complain about it when your lives **aren't** in mortal danger!" Ooka says managing to pry him free from the ice. The two then quickly run up Appa's tail wanting nothing more then to get the hell away.

"Yip Yip! For God's sakes, **YIP YIP!**" Sokka yells to Appa as he complies and begins to once again soar into the air with great speed.

Iroh, at this moment was walking outside to see what all the commotion was and sees the group flying away on Appa.

"Geez, what did I eat last night?" He says to himself. He then manages to help his nephew up onto the deck of the ship.

"Shoot them down!" Zuko says to him.

Iroh however, had no intention of doing so knowing that his niece whom he had risked his life to save was still up with them.

"Oh! Heart Attack!" He cries out abruptly clutching his chest and falling to the ground.

Zuko then picks himself up and fires all on his own the biggest stream of fire he's ever created straight towards them. But before it impacts, Aang summons all the force his body can muster to create one huge air wave which collides with the flaming torpedo, sending it straight into the icy cliff above the boat, which then in turn, causes a small avalanche of snow and ice to hurtle down onto the boat leaving it half buried as the 5 teens soar away into the sky.

"Well, Good news and bad news for the Fire Lord." Iroh begins to say to Zuko. " Good news, one of the Fire Nation's greatest threat... is just a little kid. The bad news, well, so is your sister apparently."

"How?" Zuko says in pure confusement. "How in the hell.. can they're be **TWO **Avatars.. **AT THE SAME TIME?**"

"I am not sure Prince Zuko, but I am sure that with now twice the Avatar in the world, there is twice the normal threat that we had anticipated. We must be cautious about our next move"

"I thought you just had a heart attack." Zuko says noticing his uncle's quick recovery.

"Oh, I'm still in a lot of pain, in fact it's starting to act up **RIGHT NOW! OW!**" He says lying while clutching his chest.

"Ok then... Uh, dig the ship out and follow them!" He says to the soldiers, but quickly realizing that half of them are still frozen while the other half try to thaw them out. "As soon as your done with that."

"Oh yeah! Don't mind the fact that you're uncle just had a freaking **HEART ATTACK! **I'm completely fine over here!"

"Ughh! Sorry, Uncle. Let's get you to bed, get you some tea, you're gonna feel much better."

"Will you also give me a soothing foot massage?"

"Don't push it"

* * *

High above the sea in the safety of the clouds, the gang drift peacefully through the sky wondering where to go from here.

"How did you two do that?" Katara asks Aang and Azula. "With the Air, and the Water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen" (She thinks **that **was amazing, she hasn't seen nothing yet!)

"We don't know." Aang answers "We just sort of.. did it."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around what I just did." Azula says clutching her head. "How can I Airbend when I've never done it before in my life?"

"Because you already have." Ooka says getting her attention. "In your **past **life."

"Well, there's no doubting what I am now, **neither** of us can." Azula says speaking of Aang.

"Aang," Katara begins to say to him. "Why didn't you tell us you were the... **an **Avatar?"

"Because..." Aang begins to say "I never wanted to be."

"And how is it that there are **two **Avatar in existance at the same time? It's just not possible." Ooka begins to say out loud. "Is it?"

"I don't know, The monks always said that there can only be one Avatar alive in the world at a time. It doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe it's something that happened to you personally." Azula says to him "What do you remember before waking up?"

Aang then struggles to remember what happened that seemed like days ago, when it reality, It was well over a century. Images of him and Appa flying in stormy weather and him being struck in the heart by lightning come to his mind.

"I was flying, in a storm, and I got struck by lightning right in the heart, but I somehow woke up okay afterwords. Do you think maybe it could have something to do with that?"

"You're guess is as good as mine." Azula says with a shrug of her shoulders. "But if you **are **an Avatar the same as me, aren't you supposed to take a stand and help end this war?"

Aang looks to the cloudy sky in silence thinking over this.

"I suppose I don't have a choice." He replies "Just one problem, How am I going to do that?"

"According to legend," Katara says to the group. "You need to first master Water, then Earth, and finally Fire, right?"

"That's what the monks told me."

"Well, If we go to the North Pole, you can master Waterbending."

"We can learn it together," Aang says in realization. "**All** of us!"

Katara and Ooka begin to smile with enthusiasm, but Azula still appears to be a little concerned.

"Ya know," Aang begins to say to her. "I never asked to be an Avatar either when I found out. And it **did **change my life a little bit. But in order to come to terms with who you are, you need to accept it. I'm not asking you to learn to 4 elements with me and help me save the world, I'm just asking you... to try and see things from another point of view."

Azula then looks to Aang's calm and friendly face and then comes to her conclusion.

"I guess I really don't have anywhere else to go now." She says out loud. "And you guys **did **help rescue Aang and me from my brother. Wow, there's a couple of words I never thought I'd hear myself say. It's the least I can do for you guys to travel around with you and help watch each others backs."

"We'll make sure to watch out for you too." Ooka says to the young Fire Avatar.

"And what with my brother, father, and every person in the Fire Nation out to get me, It wouldn't hurt to pick up a few new skills. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to return the favor one day."

"Well," Aang begins. "Being a Fire Avatar, your first element to master would be Air, and right now, I can think of only one person around in the entire world who can help you with that."

"Yeah, can't argue with that."

"Oh yeah!" Ooka says suddenly. "There's something Ms. Kanna wanted me to give to you."

He then opens up his warm winter coat and out into Azula's hands pops a familiar bundle of black and white.

"The little penguin from back at the South Pole!" Azula says in joy while cuddling it in her hands.

"Wait, don't tell me we're bringing **that **thing with us too, are we?" Sokka says in annoyance.

"Actually, we **are**. Got a problem with that." Azula says while giving Sokka the usual death stare.

"I don't have a problem, no problem at all."

Azula then goes back to playing with her fuzzy companion.

"Great, first we get a giant 2 ton flying bison now a baby Otter-Penguin too? I swear this place is turning into a zoo."

"By the way" Katara says to Azula. "What are you going to name him?"

"Ya know, I never really thought of that until now."

The penguin then begins to jump up and down happily in Azula's hands until it falls over playfully and safe.

"Huh. Sure is a flippery little guy, isn't he?" Ooka says commenting.

"Is that even a word?" Sokka asks him.

"Uhknow." Ooka responds.

"That's it." Azula says. "**Flip**. That's what his name will be."

Flip joyfully chirps to having given his name.

"Really? Flip?" Sokka begins. "Cause If I were naming him, it would be something fierce like Iron Beak or Shredder, or... Pengy."

"**Pengy**. Seriously?" Azula says obviously not impressed.

"Ok, then. It's settled." Katara says. "We're going off to the Northern Water Tribe."

"Yeah!" Ooka says excited.

"Sure." Azula responds.

"Whatever," Sokka answers unenthusiastically. "Just as long as we get something to eat soon. I'm starving."

"There's a shock." Azula says sarcasticly.

"Alright." Aang says. "But before I learn Waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to." He then pulls out a map from his pocket and lays it out in front of everyone. "Here, here and here." He says pointing to three different spots on the map.

"What's there?" Katara asks.

"Here, we'll ride the Hoping Llamas, then waaaay over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant Koi fish, then back over here, we'll ride the Hog-Monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but **that's **what makes it fun."

Everyone just looks toward the child like Air Avatar with weird and confused looks.

"This is going to take some time to get used to." Azula says to herself as they continue to soar through the everlasting golden sky.

Today, is where there perilous and exciting journey would begin...

**End of Ch 4. You do NOT know how hard it was to put this thing together. And sorry I didn't choose any of the names you guys suggested but, there was only one there. Let me know if this was worth the wait, and don't worry, I'll elaborate more on how 2 Avatars are alive at the same time later on in the book. The reason I had to do this is because unlike TeelTerror, I couldn't bare to have Aang not be alive in my book, plus how ELSE is Azula going to learn how to Airbend, Google? Next ch will have Aang and the crew travel to his home at the Southern Air Temple while Sokka and Katara desperately try to keep him from discovering a horrible secret. Meanwhile, we meet everyone's least favorite power crazy douche: Commander Zhao, who engages Prince Zuko in a deadly Agni Kai. Will Aang learn the horrible truth about his people? Who will emerge victorious in this duel of Firebenders? Has anyone REALLY not seen this show already? Find out when the story continues whenever the hell I can update. Stay safe and see you then! =)**


	6. Chapter 5: Southern Air Temple

**Ok, you guys voted, and the official name of the series has been decided! And to go with it, here's a new intro created by me.. sort of. Disclaimer: I only wish I owned Avatar The Last Airbender and not just the OC's i created. Then maybe I'd rename the sequel series Avatar: Legend of Korra instead of The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra. Seriously, that doesn't even make sense! I love James Cameron's Avatar as much as the next guy, but THEY came out with the name first! Ughh! Never mind, just read the ch!**

**Katara: Water, Earth, Fire, Air.**

**Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony, then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.**

**Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.**

**A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered not one, but _two_ new Avatar: an Airbender named Aang and the Fire Nation Princess, Azula. And although their Air and Firebending skills are great, they _both _have a lot to learn before they're ready to save anybody**

**But I believe, Aang and Azula, can save the world...**

**Avatar: The Ember Winds Saga**

Chapter 5

Commander Zhao and The Ruins of the Southern Air Temple

The sun begins to rise in the early morning air. Near a calm and peaceful river, Aang with the help of Katara, Azula and Ooka begin to pack up supplies onto Appa. Aang, all the while, continues to brim with eagerness and excitement to return home to the Southern Air Temple after being away for an extremely long time.

"Wait till you guys see it." He says to his friends. "The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world."

The others meanwhile show looks of concern and fear for what Aang might find when he returns home.

"Aang," Katara says to her young friend. "I know you're excited, but it's been a hundred years since you've been home."

"That's why I'm so excited. "

"All were saying Aang, is that a lot can change in that time." Azula says to him knowing full well what he might discover when they arrive.

"I know, but I need to see it for myself. Think of all the new Airbending techniques the new Airbenders have had the time to create in a hundred years. Maybe they've found a way to ride through the sky on top of clouds! Like **Cloudbending**!" (Insert Dragonball reference here.)

"Maybe." Ooka says. "But we're not going **anywhere **until we get Sleeping Beauty over there up out of bed."

The group then turn their heads to see Sokka, not surprisingly, still fast asleep in his sleeping bag.

"I got this." Aang says gliding down from Appa making his way towards the snoring warrior. "Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!"

"Uuuugh! Sleep now, temple later." He tiredly responds turning over on his side going back to sleep.

After this, a mischievous little smile appears upon the young Avatar's face as he picks up a nearby stick.

"This ought to be interesting," Azula says to the others with a smile. "Or completely disastrous, either way."

"Sokka, wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" Aang yells as he runs the stick across Sokka's bag while Azula tries to keep herself from breaking out into laughter.

"AHHHHHH! GET IT OFFF! GET IT OFF!"

The three of them break out into roaring laughter as Sokka frantically jumps around in his sleeping bag. He continues to hop around until he makes a fatal trip which sends him straight into the nearby river with a splash, which in turn causes them to laugh even harder.

"Uh..." Aang says slightly embarrassed. "Well, now that you're awake, let's get a move on."

"Yeah, because I was having **so **much fun already." Sokka says irritated and dripping wet as he continues to hop in his bag toward Appa.

* * *

The air is cold and tense at Captain Zhao's Naval base. Prince Zuko and General Iroh walk down the ramp of their ship, anxious to have it repaired as quickly as possible for them to continue their search for the Avatar.(And when I say this, I mean **both **or them, not just Aang or Azula.)

"Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible." Zuko says wanting nothing more then to leave the moment they can. "I don't want to stay too long and risk loosing their trail."

"You mean the Avatar?" Iroh asks.

"Don't mention their names on these docks." Zuko says with seriousness toward his uncle. "Once word get's out that there are not just one, but **two** of them, every Firebender will be out looking for them. And I don't want **anyone **getting in the way."

"Getting in the way.. of what, Prince Zuko?"

The two turn to face the owner of the voice that just spoke. A man in his mid 30's or 40's with brown hair tied in the usual style of most Fire Nation soldiers with dark amber eyes dressed in a regal looking uniform.

"Captain Zhao." The Prince says greeting the famed Fire Nation Captain.

"It's **Commander **now." He says correcting him. "You're father saw fit to reward me with a new promotion. And General Iroh, great hero of our nation." He says humbly bowing to his military superior.

"Retired General, unfortunately." Iroh responds.

"The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcomed guests any time. What brings you to my harbor?"

"Our ship is being repaired." Iroh answers gesturing toward the small battle damaged ship that now bares a considerable amount of cracks and dents in it's hard metal hull.

"That's quiet a bit of damage." The Commander says with surprise.

"Yes. You wouldn't believed what happened." Zuko begins. He then, with a blank and nervous face, realizes that he hadn't gone over exactly **what **he would say to Zhao about what had caused the damage to his ship. "Uncle. Tell Commander Zhao what happened." He says abruptly giving Iroh a look of surprise and nervousness as well.

"Yes, I will do that." He begins. "It was incredible... what, did we crash or something? Cause personally, between the fact that soon afterwords I had succumbed to a fatal heart attack, my memory is a little... fuzzy."

"Uh... Yes. We did crash. Right into an Earth Kingdom Ship." Zuko says thinking on his feet.

"Really?" Zhao responds. "You must regale me with all the **thrilling **details. Join me for a drink?"

"Sorry, but we have to go." Zuko answers.

"Prince Zuko." Iroh says taking his nephew's shoulder. "Show Commander Zhao.. your respect. We would be honored to join you. Do you have any Ginseng Tea by any chance? It's my favorite."

"Wait," Zuko speaks up. "I thought, and correct if I'm wrong, you said that **Jasmine **Tea was your favorite."

"Well it **was**, until Captain Koh recently shared with me this new and fantastic flavor that even **I **myself had yet to try. It was a culinary marvel! Sweet when first sipped, and then bitter soon after. It was as if it was stimulating my very brain! From that point on, I declared it to be my new official favorite."

"Very interesting, General." Zhao says to him. "And are you a favorite of Tea as well, Prince Zuko?"

"Eh, It's okay I guess."

* * *

The gang glide peacefully above the clouds as they approach the Potola Mountain Range, the first stop on their way to the Air Temple. Sokka, unfortunately, clutches his grumbling stomach in immense hunger.

"Hey, stomach, be quiet, alright? I'm trying to find us some food."

"Talking to your stomach?" Azula begins to say in disbelief. "Yeah, that's a sure sign of good mental health."

"I'd say something, but right now, I'm too hungry to care." Sokka says while looking through the supplies for something to curb his appetite.

"You're **always **hungry." Ooka says joining in.

"Was I asking you!" Sokka says slightly irritated.

"Don't mind him." Katara says. "He also gets **cranky **when he's hungry."

"So he's **always** cranky." Azula says in response.

"Azula, I swear to God..." Sokka says loosing his patience. He then reaches his hand into a small cloth bag for some food, but finds nothing but crumbs. "Hey, who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?" He says frustrated.

"I'm sorry, **Blubbered Seal Jerky**?" Azula comments slightly disgusted.

"Guess that's not a particularly favorited dish in the Fire Nation?" Ooka asks.

"Not even close." She answers.

"Oh, that was **food**?" Aang asks a little surprised. "I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry."

"You **WHAT**?" Sokka protests. "Awww. No wonder the flames smelled so good."

They then reach the borders of the large mountainous area.

"The Potola Mountain Range!" Aang says in excitement. "We're almost there!"

"Aang," Katara begins to say. "Before we get to the temple, I wanna talk to you about the Airbenders."

What about them?"

"Well.. I, that is Azula and I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother. They could have done the same to your people."

Aang's face begins to look one of worry and doubt, but then brightens back up quickly. "Just because no one has **seen** an Airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped. I'm not one to brag, but we **were **revered as masters of evasion and stealth."

Azula meanwhile is beginning to feel slightly guilty for keeping certain secrets about the Airbender's fall from her friends. It was already common knowledge across the world that the Air Nomads were extinct, or at least thought to be, but the real piece of information that she left out was **how **the Fire Nation had exterminated them all. Sooner or later though, she knew she would have to tell them someday, but not this day, not when Aang's hopes of going home to see his people were so high. Telling him this would just put stress on everyone.

"You ok, Azula?" Ooka asks breaking her train of thought. "You seemed kind of quiet for a while."

"Yeah, I'm fine." She says half heartedly.

"I know it's hard to accept," Katara continues talking to Aang.

"You don't understand Katara." Aang says to her. "The only way to get to an Airbender Temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison, right Appa?" Appa growls to him in response.

"Well, they **did** have Dragons." Azula points out causing everyone to turn to her with looks of worry and fear. "But they went extinct a long time ago! Not too long before the War started." She says trying to calm them down.

They then begin to make their accession up the incredibly tall mountain flying at unbelievable speeds. Afterwords, they finally reach their destination: a large village like compound with stone pathways etched into a neighboring mountain peak and towers of every size.

"There it is." Aang says to the group. "The Southern Air Temple."

"Aang, It's amazing!" Katara says astounded while Azula looks on with an amazed face at the beautiful and ancient wonder before her.

"We're home, buddy." Aang says to Appa with happiness. "We're home."

* * *

A pair of guards keep watch outside of Zhao's personal tent as he and his royal guests discuss the progression of the war effort. Inside the tent, Zhao begins to finish the report while gazing at a map of the world.

"And by years end, The Earth Kingdom capitol will be under our rule. The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war."

"If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool." Zuko comments much to Zhao's (And my) surprise.

"Two years at sea have done little to temper your your tongue." Zhao responds. "So, how's your search for the Avatar going?"

At this point, a series of loud banging noise occurs behind the two of them. Zhao turns around to find the source to be Iroh who accidentally knocked down a rack of assorted spears and weapons.

"Uh, my fault, entirely." He apologetically says slowly backing away.

"We haven't found him yet." Zuko lies to the commander.

"Did you really **expect to**? The Avatar died along time ago, by **your **father's hand, so to speak. With all the rest of the Air Nomads wiped out decades ago, there's no possible way for him to come back again." This causes a nervous shift in the Prince's eyes which Zhao immediately picks up on. "Unless you've found some evidence that the Avatar is alive" He says with an evil like grin.

"No... Nothing."

"Prince Zuko, The Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found."

"I haven't found **anything**." He answers continuing to lie. "It's like you said, The Avatar probably died a long time ago." Zuko then rises quickly from his seat and makes his way toward the exit. "C'mon, Uncle. We're going."

Unfortunately, his exit is cut short by two armed guards blocking his way with their spears.

"Commander Zhao," The main guard begins to his commanding officer "We interrogated the crew as you instructed."

"And?"

"They confirmed that Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody but let him escape. Also, there's something else, but it's.. it's just not possible."

"Spit it out, Captain!"

"They also confirmed that Princess Azula was on the ship as well... but Airbending. They say that she's a **second **Avatar!" Zhao's eyes widen in shock and horror toward the information he just received, but momentarily puts it aside to confront the Prince. "Now, remind me, how exactly.. was your ship damaged?"

* * *

The Group begins walk along the mountainous and rocky paths leading toward the Southern Air Temple. Aang runs ahead taking the lead while Katara, Sokka, Azula and Ooka walk slowly behind.

"So where do I get something to eat?" Sokka says with irritation.

"You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an Airbender Temple," Katara says to her grouchy brother. "And all you can think about is **food**?"

"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs." He responds to her.

"**Really **simple." Azula adds in back causing Sokka to glare back staring daggers.

"Besides, you've seen **one **Air Temple, you've seen em all."

"But you **have **only seen one." Ooka responds.

"Exactly."

The four of them stop by the edge of a cliff as Aang looks around at the remains of his home.

"So that's where my friends and I would play Air Ball." He says pointing towards what looks like a long, flat cliff side with rows of wooden poles covering it, each side with a type of goal post at the end. "And over there is where the bison would sleep and..." He begins to sigh in sadness.

"What's wrong?" Katara asks.

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds." Sadness then begins to fall on the young Airbender's face. "I can't believe how much things have changed."

Katara and Sokka look to each other both wanting to cheer the saddened Air Avatar up.

"So uh, this Air Ball game, how do you play?" Sokka says to him, which gives Aang a smug smile on his face.

* * *

Sokka begins to guard his goal post with determination as Aang spins the wooden ball with Airbending above his hand. He then tosses high up into the air as Sokka looks nervously. Then, just as it begins to return, Aang sends it flying the opposite direction with a tremendously powerful kick. The ball begins to ricochet from pole to pole quickly making its way toward a now terrified Sokka. It then finally impacts onto his person, sending him flying through the goal post and into a pile of snow... for the seventh time in a row.

"Aang: 7 Sokka: 0!" He shouts happily.

"Making **him **feel better is putting **me **in a world of hurt." He says in a wining like tone.

"It's making **me **feel pretty good." Azula says with a smirk.

"**YOUR **not the one who needs cheering up!" He shouts in anger.

Azula then suddenly gasps in fear about something.

"What?" Sokka asks her.

She points over to the direction she looked at as Sokka makes his way over there. He then spots just what frightened her so much: an old and rusty Fire Nation soldier class helmet. "Guys," He says to Katara and Ooka to get their attention. "Check this out."

"Fire Nation." Katara says with a grim tone in her voice.

"They **were** here!" Ooka says in shock.

"We should tell him." Sokka says to the three of them.

"Aang!" Katara calls out to him "There's something you need to see."

"Okay." Aang answers happily bending the Air Ball in his hands.

Katara's eyes then begin to nervously shift from the helmet back to her happy and upbeat friend. She then suddenly bends the snow off from a nearby ledge burying the helmet as well as Sokka. (Seems to be a running gag with him.)

"What is it?" Aang asks her.

"Uh.. just a new Waterbending move I learned."

"Nice one, but enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see."

"You go on ahead, we'll catch up." Katara says to him.

Aang does just that while guilt and fear makes itself present to all four of his friends.

"Ya know you can't protect him **forever**." Sokka says plainly while brushing some snow off of himself.

"Well what would you rather me do, tell Aang that his **entire **culture was wiped from the face of existance and that he's the last of his kind?" Katara responds in frustration. "He just got back to the home he hasn't been in for 100 years, I can't just tell him that."

"Katara's right, Sokka." Azula says joining in. "This just isn't the time to break this kind of news to Aang, not at how happy he is now to be home."

"Plus, think about how he may react if he **does **find out," Ooka says "Like how Azula and he were like on Zuko's ship, no offense Azula."

"Hey, none taken. Even **I'm **freaked out at what I did."

"But don't you guys feel the least bit guilty that were keeping this big a secret from him?" Sokka asks.

"Of course we do." Azula answers. "I mean think about it, my own people caused this and even **I'm **horrified. How do you think that makes **me **feel?"

"Well, we can't just keep this a secret from him **foreve**r." Sokka says to them.

"We **won't**" Katara says to her brother. "We'll just wait until **after **we leave the Temple to break the bad news to him and hope everything goes okay."

"Hey guys!" Aang shouts back to the group. "You guys coming or what?"

"Uh... We're coming!" Katara shouts to him as the four of them hastily head off to catch up with him.

* * *

The sky begins to darken slightly as the five make their way through a small archway leading to a stone courtyard with a long dried fountain in the middle.

"It's hard to believe this place is still mostly intact," Ooka says to his three friends. "Even after the inva.." His sentence is cut off by Azula nudging him slightly in his arm.

"Ixnay on the vasioninay." She says to him quietly. (Not sure Pig Latin even exists in the Avatar World, but who cares? It's just for fun.)

"Sorry." Ooka says.

"Hey guys!" Aang shouts to them. "I want you to meet somebody." They then look towards a stone statue of an aged Airbending master with a long curly mustache and a wooden medallion hanging from his neck.

"Who's that?" Sokka asks.

"Monk Gyatso, the greatest Airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang says bowing respectfully to the statue of his beloved and missed teacher as he remembers the events of his life 100 years ago.

* * *

**100 years ago...**

"But the true secret," Monk Gyatso says to his young pupil as he prepares a delicious fruit pie. "is in the gooey center."

"Hmm" Aang sighs sadly as he sits atop the balcony railing with a troubled look.

"My ancient cake making technique isn't the only thing on your mind, is it Aang?"

"This whole Avatar thing," Aang begins to his teacher. "Maybe the monks made a mistake."

"The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned 16, but we can't concern ourselves with what **was**, we must act on what **is**." He says to him gesturing towards the beautiful and peaceful sight of many Air Nomads going about their business as a couple of old and young Sky Bison graze on the plants around them.

"But Gyatso," Aang asks with uncertainty. "How do I know if I'm ready for this?"

"Your questions will be answered when you're old enough to enter The Air Temple Sanctuary. Inside, you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey."

"Who is it?" Aang asks with excitement.

"When you are ready, he will reveal himself to you." Gyatso answers as Aang frustratingly pouts over not being able to know who this mysterious guide is.

"Now, are you going to help me with these cakes, or not?" Gyatso asks his young student.

"Alright." Aang replies as he stands up to help.

The two Airbending masters then prepare to do... something... with the cakes.

"1, 2," Gyatso says as each forms a moderate sized Air Ball in their hands. "3!"

They then hurl the balls of Air at the fours cakes, launching them high into the sky and watch as they land all over the four unsuspecting monks on the Air Nomad Council, after which lemurs quickly swarm over them to eat the remains of the scattered cakes.

"Really?" Monk Pasang says in an annoyed tone as a lemur eats the splattered gooey cake on top of his head.

Aang and Gyatso then burst out into uncontrollable laughter at the hilarious prank they pulled off.

"Your aim has improved greatly, my young pupil." Gyatso says happily while patting Aangs head.

* * *

Aang looks at the face of his much missed teacher with grief and sadness.

"You must miss him." Katara says comfortingly while placing a caring hand on the young Avatar's shoulder.

"Yeah, I do." Aang replies. "But the ones we care about, our friends and our family, are never really gone, so long as we remember them.. in here." He finishes placing a hand over his heart.

"Yeah, you're right." Katara answers understanding what he went through all too well.

"C'mon" Aang says to the group beckoning them to follow him down a dark hallway.

"Were are we going?" Azula asks.

"The Air Temple Sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet."

The others look to one another for answers for what he meant, but just get confused and lost looks.

They all then opt to just follow Aang down the dark corridor leading to the sealed and ancient room.

* * *

The five walk down a long stone corridor with rays of sunlight illuminating their path. They then reach a large wooden door with three lock like mechanisms in the shape of the Air Nomad symbol attached to it.

"But Aang," Katara says to him. "No one could have survived in there for 100 years."

"It's not impossible." Aang answers "**I **survived in the iceberg for that long."

"Good point."

"Katara, whoever's in there might help me **and **Azula figure out this Avatar thing."

"And.. whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious, cured meats!" Sokka says obviously still hungry.

"Typical," Azula says to him. "There might be a person who's survived in there for 100 years and.."

"**All you can think about it food.**" They both say at the same time.

"Yeah, yeah. I know the whole routine, but can you blame me. Aang's the one who used my seal jerky to start the camp fire last night leaving my stomach **COMPLETELY EMPTY!**"

"I said I was sorry!" Aang says a little irritated.

"Tell **my stomach** you're sorry!" Sokka says back. "Ya know what? Screw it. I'm getting in!" He then proceeds to run straight through the two wooden doors, but just ends up crashing head first against the hard and painful structure and falls back onto the ground. "Ouch." He says weakly. "I don't suppose you have a key."

"The **key **Sokka, is Airbending."

Aang then takes a deep breath while raising both his arms and releases two streams of air into the large pipe system leading to the locks. The air makes its way to each lock one by one as they begin to turn releasing the air with a flute like sound. The two doors then begin to open with a loud creaking sound following with them.

"Hello?" Aang calls out into the lightless room. "Anyone home?"

He begins to take steps into the pitch black chamber with the other four following close by until they all disappear into the shadows.

* * *

"So you're telling me," Zhao says to Zuko pacing back and forth in both anticipation and worry. "That you and your Firebenders were bested not only by a 12 year old boy, but your own younger sister who's also a **second **Avatar? You're more pathetic then I thought."

"I underestimated them once, but it will **not **happen again." Zuko responds.

"No it will not, because you won't have a second chance." The Commander coldly says to the prince.

"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I..."

"And you've failed!" Zhao angerly shouts releasing a wave fire from his hand. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands, even less so now that the **Fire Lords daughter **is now marked as one! They're **mine **now."

Zuko responds by angerly lashing out at Zhao, but is held back by two guards.

"Keep them here." Zhao says making his way out of tent.

Zuko then looses all patience with the Commander and kicks the nearby table, knocking both it and an antique tea pot to pieces.

"More tea please." Iroh says to both the guards holding Zuko back.

"Uh.. General Iroh," One responds. "As you can see, we're kinda in the middle of incarcerating your angry nephew over here."

"Oh, for God's sakes, just let go of me and get the man his damn tea!" Zuko says irritated. "It's not like I have a ship to get away in if I wanted to."

"Sheesh," The other guard says as they both let go and begin to walk out. "Someone needs to learn some Anger Management."

"Believe me, we've tried." Iroh says to them.

* * *

The group walk into the previously sealed room with the only source of light being that from the corridor outside. The five then spot what appears to be dozens upon dozens of statues all lined up in a row of a spiral.

"Statues?" Sokka says complaining" "That's it? Where's the meat? And Azula, say one more thing and I swear..."

"You'll do what?" She responds. "I'm a Firebending expert and your a non bending, inexperienced warrior from the Southern Water Tribe. Who do you **honestly** think would win?"

Sokka raises his hand in response, but lowers it in defeat knowing she has him beat. "Why!" He moans in disappointment of being owned by Azula for the who knows how many time.

"Anyways..." Katara says trying to change the subject. "Who **are **all these people?"

"I'm not sure." Aang answers. "But it feels like I know them somehow."

"Yeah, me too." Azula says with a surprised expression.

"Look, that one's an Airbender!" Aang says pointing towards a statue of a man with a short mustache an the usual Airbending tattoo down his forehead.

"And that one next to him's a Waterbender." Ooka says as they notice the next statue down dressed in traditional Waterbender robes with the wolf head dress and all.

"They're lined up in a pattern." Katara notices. "Air, Water, Earth and Fire."

"**That's the Avatar cycle.**" Aang and Azula say at the same time causing them to turn to each other in surprise. (Sorry I'm doing that a lot, but I thought it would sound interesting for them both to say it.)

"Of course." Katara says putting the pieces together. "They're Avatars! All these people are your past lives, guys."

"Wow, they are so many." Aang says noticing how they continue to travel up a spiral staircase.

"Past lives?" Sokka says in disbelief. "Katara, Ooka, you two **really **believe in that stuff?"

"It's true." Katara says to her brother. "When the Avatar dies, he or she is reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle."

"Wait a minute!" Aang says abruptly. "How does that explain Azula? The closest **I **came to dying was when I was struck by lightning a hundred years ago, but even then, how was she born two cycles ahead?"

"Well, we sorta forgot to mention to you that while you were frozen and before I was born, they were two **other **Avatar in the two cycles before me." Azula explains.

"Really? Who were they?" Aang asks with enthusiasm.

"There was Avatar Tsuna, a Waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe and then there was Avatar Bumi Jr, an Earthbender from Omashu."

"Wait! **Bumi Jr**?" Aang says recognizing that name. "I **knew **a Bumi a hundred years ago back in Omashu! I can't believe he had an Avatar for a son! Wait, if **your **here Azula, that must me he..." A saddened face then appears on his face.

"I'm sorry, Aang." Azula says putting a hand on his shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, he died like a hero and a true Avatar."

"Just like the two of us." Aang says.

"Yeah, like us."

The two then notice a statue next to them that catches their eyes. It is of an aged Fire Nation man with a long lengthy beard and the Headpiece of the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation atop his head.

"Aang, snap out of it." Katara calls to Aang shaking his shoulders.

"Who's that?" Katara asks.

"That's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me."

"You were a Firebender?" Sokka comments. "No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met, no offense Azula."

"Ya know what Sokka?... I don't f**ken care." She says plainly.

"There's no writing. How do you know his name?" Katara asks.

"I'm not sure. I just know it somehow." Aang responds.

"You just couldn't get any weirder." Sokka says to Aang.

Suddenly, a loud horn like reverberating noise (They seem to respond to it in the show or something so I'll just go with it.) echos from the doorway giving them all shock looks. They then turn to see the shadow of something with large rabbit like ears make its way toward the room. Instinctively, they hide behind the statues so it doesn't spot them.

"Firebender." Sokka whispers to the others. "Nobody make a sound."

"**You're **making a sound!" Katara says.

"Plus, that "**Firebender**"has ears that make Aangs look normal." Azula says.

"Hey!" Aang quietly but angerly responds.

"Shh! Everybody shut the f**k up!" Sokka says.

"**I** didn't say anything." Ooka says to him. (The reason for that is I'm forgetting to give him lines.)

"Then **keep it** that way!"

"Uhh... guys?" Katara says getting the two boys attention as she points towards the intruder: a small white furred Winged Lemur with long rabbit like ears, a curly brown tail and somewhat of a sad and lonely look in it's big green eyes.

"Lemur!" Aang calls out happily.

"Dinner." Sokka says with drool coming down his mouth.

"Don't listen to him. You're gonna be my new pet." Aang says to the lemur.

"Like hell he is!" Ooka says angerly to Aang. "You **already **have a two ton pet we fly around on. It's **my **turn to have a pet."

"It's a **Winged **Lemur living in the Southern **AIR **Temple. That means he belongs to me!"

"That doesn't mean he automatically goes to you because you're an Airbender!"

"Well **I **haven't had anything to eat **ALL DAY!**" Sokka says to them.

"**WE KNOW!**" They both shout to him.

"Uhh guys?" Katara says to the three boys.

"**WHAT?**" They all shout to her.

"The lemur left about 5 seconds after you three started arguing." Azula says to them.

The three quickly jerk around to see that, good to their word, the lemur was long gone.

"First one to catch him gets him!" Ooka shouts.

With that, all three boys bolt out the door running after the furry creature.

"Ughh. Boys." Katara says in annoyance.

"Tell me about it." Azula says agreeing with her.

* * *

The lemur runs for dear life (at least from Sokka) away from the three boys madly chasing after him.

"I wanna eat you!" Sokka says while running.

"Oh yeah, like **that's **gonna make him stop running!" Ooka says running beside him.

Sokka responds to this by simply pushing him down to the ground and picks up his speed.

Aang then speeds ahead of him using his quick Airbending speed. Sokka tries to use his boomerang to trip him, but sees that it fail as Aang runs along the side of the wall. Aang breaks out into laughter as he runs ahead of Sokka and launches an Air Ball straight towards him, sending him into the air for a few short seconds until he lands onto the hard ground with his hood covering his head.

"Hahaha! That lemur's mine!" Aang says with confidence.

Just then, a jet of water flies at him encasing his feet and quickly freezes holding him into place.

"In your dreams, Air Boy!" Ooka says as he runs straight past him while Aang despreatley attempts to free himself from the icy entrapment.

Ooka continues to chase the lemur straight through the corridor right up to the end at a nearby balcony. The lemur then takes off using its wings to glide through the air. Ooka is about to jump over to go after it, but is stopped abruptly to see a rocky and treacherous cliff side waiting for him below.

"Hey Ooka!" Sokka calls as he catches up to him. "Why are you still he.. Holy S**t!" He says with fear now noticing the cliff side as well. They then hear the sound of footsteps behind them and turn to see Aang running straight where they were. The young Airbender then jumps several feet above their heads and laughs happily as he agilely scales the rocks below without so much as a scratch, leaving Ooka and Sokka standing there powerless to do anything else.

"Were you **really **gonna eat him?" Ooka asks Sokka.

"If I **did**, Aang would **never **let me hear the end of it. Sorry, but **nothing **is worth that!"

* * *

Commander Zhao makes his way back to the tent where Zuko and Iroh still remain at with two armed guards standing watch.

"Uh, Commander Zhao." One guard to the left says to him. "Before you go in there sir, I have some bad news to tell you."

"Don't tell me those two managed to escape." Zhao says to him.

"No Commander, they're both still here. It's that... as soon as you left the tent, Prince Zuko kicked over the table in the room shattering the teapot you brought in."

"**WHAT**? Are you kidding me! Are you really f**king serious?" Zhao says in immense frustration. "That was a gift from my grandmother! She made it for me when I was just 8 years old for God's sakes."

"Sir, with all due respect, couldn't you just have your grandmother make you another one?" The guard asks him.

"She's bedridden with Alzheimer's, you moron! What do **you **think?" (Yes, I know Alzheimer's **doesn't **exist in the Avatar world. I just thought it would be funny.) "Ya know what? I'm not going to get angry about this right now. Just let me in."

"Yes sir." The guards says allowing him to enter the tent where Zuko and Iroh sit waiting for him.

"My search party is ready." He says to the two of them. "Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you'll be free to go."

"Why? Are you worried I'm gonna try and stop you?" Zuko rudely asks.

"The only **I am **right now is extremely angry with you for shattering that Teapot I brought in. It was.."

"Yeah yeah. Gift from your grandmother, bedridden with Alzheimer's, I heard your little rant outside. And if you're so ticked about it, **why'd **you bring out a priceless gift from a family member out of safety in the first place?"

"I was hoping that we could behave like civilized people and not break anything, but I guess I should have known better with **you**."

"You should **never **underestimate me, Commander. I **will **capture the Avatar before you" Zuko says with his rage growing.

"Prince Zuko, that's enough." Iroh says to him hoping to end the fighting between the two of them.

"Like I'm afraid that **you're **going to stop me. You never could stand a chance against your sister even **before **she was revealed to be the Avatar. What makes you think you'll stand a chance against **two **Avatar, let alone one?"

"What makes you think that you** CAN**?" Zuko says back.

" I certainly stand a better chance then **you **do. I have hundreds of War ships under my command, and you.. You're just a banished prince. No home, no allies, you're own father doesn't even want you."

"You're wrong! Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne."

"If your father really wanted you home," Zhao says to him. "He would have let you return, Avatar or **no **Avatar. But in his eyes, you're a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."

"That's **not **true." Zuko responds with his temper about to explode.

"You have the scar to prove it." This one comment sends Zuko over then edge.

"**MAYBE YOU'D LIKE ONE TO MATCH!**" He shouts straight to the Commanders face.

"Is that a challenge?" Zhao asks him showing no fear in his eyes.

"An Agni Kai, at sunset."

"Very well." Zhao says accepting the Princes challenge. "It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you, I guess your uncle will do."

Zhao then turns to the two guards on the inside of the tent behind him.

"You two, did you manage to recover **all **the pieces of that teapot?"

"Yes sir, we have them all in tact." One guard answers.

"Good, get some hot glue and some molding clay and get to work on rebuilding it immediately. And if there is so much as a single piece of the teapot out of place, so help me I'll personally send the man responsible into a pool of rabid Catgators!"

The Commander then walks out of the tent along with the guards leaving Iroh and his nephew alone to prepare for Zuko's battle.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh begins to say with mounting fear. "Have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master."

"I will **never** forget." is his only response.

* * *

Aang continues to chase the lemur down the mountain, still set on keeping him as a pet. Just as Aang jumps down to grab it, the lemur narrowly escapes his grasp and runs into what looks like an old and ruined tent.

"Hey! Come back." He calls to it as he follows him inside. "Come on out, little lemur, that hungry guy won't bother you anymore." But just as Aang opens a nearby curtain to look for it, he takes in a sight which puts him in a state of horror and shock.

All around the room were pieces of ancient Fire Nation battle armor and a few skeletons. "Firebenders? They **were** here?" Aang says looking on in terror. He then looks to see the most gruesome and horrifying sight of all: an skeleton of a long dead Airbender dressed in the very same clothes that Monk Gyatso always wore. Aang was indeed staring at the remains of his poor old master and friend.

"Gyatso." Aang says in pure sorrow as he drops to his knees as his sadness and grief over takes him.

"Hey Aang," Sokka says making his way into the tent. "You find my dinner yet?"

"I thought you said you weren't going eat him." Ooka says poking his head in as well. The two then look to see the young and truly saddened Avatar beginning to cry softly for some reason.

"Aang, I wasn't **really **gonna eat the lemur, okay?" Sokka says thinking that was what he was crying about, but both him and Ooka turn to see the real reason why.

"Oh man." Sokka says in shock.

"C'mon Aang, everything will be all right." Ooka says as he and Sokka put their hands on his shoulders.

"You knew..." Aang says while crying a bit. "You all knew, didn't you?"

"Aang..." Sokka begins.

"_**DIDN'T YOU**_**!" **Aang roars loudly with his voice greatly amplified as he turns his head to reveal his eyes and tattoos glowing like before.

* * *

Katara and Azula continue to look at the many statues in the Air Temple Sanctuary.

"You **really **think Sokka will eat that lemur?" Azula asks her friend.

"You'd be surprised at what my brother does when he gets hungry." Katara responds.

Just then, the eyes on the statue of Roku begin to glow wildly as all the other statues in the room follow.

Azula then winces in slight pain as she puts her hands to her head to block it out.

"Azula!" Katara says rushing to the aid of her friend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" She answers. "It's just... I felt something, like I was inside another persons mind. I felt... pain and sorrow.. turning into rage and unbelievable anger."

"Aang!" Katara says in realization.

The two then race out of the room to find the others.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away inside the Northeastern Earth Mound in the Earth Kingdom, a priest meditates in a room with murals of past Earth Avatars carved onto the walls.

Suddenly, the eyes of the carvings begin to glow brightly giving the priest a look of pure shock.

* * *

In the icy lands that house Western Water Fortress, two priests watch the site of the top of their compound beginning to glow with an amazing yet shocking blue light.

* * *

At the Fire Sage Temple on Crescent Island, the top of the giant structure begins to glow brightly and somewhat ominously.

"Send word to the Fire Lord immediately." One Fire Sage says to another. "The Avatar has returned." (Though I'm pretty sure most people in the Fire Nation already know.)

* * *

Back at the tent, furious and deadly winds begins to blow from all sides forming a gigantic dome of air around Aang.

"Aang, c'mon! Snap out of it!" Sokka shouts attempting to reach him. Both him and Ooka are blown of their feet and onto the ground as the tent compound explodes from the sheer force of the winds.

A large torrent of wind and air forms from the air dome surrounding the young Airbender.

Katara and Azula slowly make their way to the boys while trying not to loose their footing in the harsh and dangerous wind storm.

"What happened!" Azula shouts to them.

" He found out Firebenders killed Gyatso and the other Airbenders **AND **that we knew and been keeping it a secret from him!" Sokka answers.

"Oh no!" Katara says worried. "It's his Avatar Spirit! He must have triggered it! I'm gonna try and calm him down!"

"Well do it, before he blows us and this place of the mountain!" Ooka shouts to her.

Katara slowly tries to make her way towards Aang while carefully making sure she doesn't loose her footing. A large gust of air then blows her back slightly as Aang begins to ascend into the air.

* * *

The sun begins to illuminate the crimson sky over the sparring arena where Zuko and Zhao would soon duel each other.

Both combatants face the opposite way focusing their energies and concentration.

"Remember your Firebending basics, Prince Zuko." Iroh says to his nephew. "They are your greatest weapons."

"I refuse to let him win." Zuko responds rising to his feet.

"This will be over quickly." Zhao says to himself also rising to battle.

A loud gong is sounded signaling the beginning of the duel.

Both fighters take their stances, ready for whatever each other has. Zuko makes the first move firing a moderate blast from his hands which Zhao easily doges by moving to the left. Zuko repeats this process in order to distract the Commander and launch a surprise attack. Zhao then crosses his arms and takes a blast of fire head on and easily disintegrates it into small ember sparks.

Zuko begins to pant heavily, his energy running low and sends a number of kicks of fire towards Zhao, whom manages to brush them off. Zuko then sends a more powerful kick towards his opponent, but Zhao counters by igniting his hands with flames and disrupts the incoming attack.

"Basics, Zuko! Break his routes!" Iroh calls to him.

Zhao begins his assault on Zuko by firing a large blast from his hands which Zuko barely defects downward. Zhao repeats this process several more times all while draining Zuko's stamina dangerously low. He then fires a final blast which knocks the Prince to the hard ground.

He weakly gets up to see Zhao jump in front of him and fire a finishing blast towards him. But in a split second, Zuko jumps to doge the blast and twirls his legs into a kick which catches the Commander by surprise.

Zuko then sends a series of small blasts from his feet which begin to make Zhao loose his footing until Zuko fires a final blast from his foot, sending Zhao crashing and rolling to the ground. Zuko stands over his weakened opponent ready to fire the deciding attack.

"Do it!" Zhao shouts to him.

Zuko then fires a quick and powerful blast, but it impacts the ground with a burn mark that Zhao's face by just a few inches.

"That's it?" Zhao says to him "Your father raised a coward."

"Next time you get in my way, I promise, I **won't **hold back."

Zuko begins to walk from his beaten foe, but as Zhao rises, he angerly fires a blast from his foot while Zuko's back is turned.

This blast never reaches its target as Iroh grabs the Commanders foot which neutralizes it before it impacts the Prince. He then pushes him back sending once again onto the hard and painful ground.

Zuko begins to head towards Zhao out of fury, but Iroh manages to stop him with his hands.

"No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory." Iroh says to him as he turns to face the fallen Firebender.

"So this is how the Great Commander Zhao acts in defeat? Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable then **you**."

"To me, honor is just another word for **weakness**." Zhao says bitterly in response.

"From your point of view, perhaps." Iroh says. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious."

The two then make their leave out of the arena as Zhao watches in anger and resent.

"Did you really mean that, Uncle?" Zuko asks.

"Of course." He answers. "I told you Ginseng is my favorite."

"Uh, I was kinda talking about what you said to Zhao about me being more honorable then him."

"Oh! Yes. Of course I did, without a doubt, my nephew. Though I must side with Zhao on what you did to his poor Teapot. The destruction of an innocent Teapot is just as horrific as the murder of a living being."

"You **really **need to find another hobby besides Tea, Uncle."

"I **would**, except no girl I meet wants to date me."

* * *

Aang continues to cause a surge of gust and wind in all directions.

"Aang, We're sorry for keeping this a secret from you." Katara says to him hoping he would hear her. "I know you're upset, and I know how hard it is to loose the people you love. Sokka and I went though the same thing when we lost our mom. But it doesn't mean you're alone in this world."

"Katara's right, Aang!" Azula calls out to him. "Monk Gyatso and the other Airbenders may be gone, but you **still **have a family. Katara, Sokka, Appa, Ooka, even me. We're your family now!"

Miraculously, the ball of air Aang is in begins to lower to the ground an eventually disappears along with the raging wind storm. Aang stands his feet on the solid ground with his eyes and tattoos still glowing as the four make their way towards their friend.

"We're not gonna let anything happen to you. Promise." Sokka says to him.

Katara takes her friends hand as the glow in his eyes begins to fade with him falling into her arms.

"I'm sorry." He weakly says to her.

"No, **we're **sorry." Ooka says to him. "Sorry that we knew about this and kept it a secret from you."

"I know why you did though, and it's okay, you all were just trying to protect me. But either way, you were right. And if Firebenders found **this **temple, that means they found the other ones too. I **really am **the last Airbender."

"Not for long." Azula says coming to his side. "If you can manage to teach me Airbending, we'll be able to raise the count of Airbenders up by one. We have to stick together, and that goes for **all of us**."

"You're right, Azula." Aang says to her. "We're stronger together, and together, we may be able to put an end to this war once and for all."

"That's the plan." Azula says as she hugs her friend along side Katara.

* * *

Aang stares into the eyes of the statue of Roku one last time before they leave the temple.

"Everything's packed." Katara says as she and Azula make their way towards him. "You ready to go?"

"How is Roku suppose to help us if we can't talk to him?" Aang asks confused and unsure.

"Maybe we'll find a way, nobody said this Avatar thing would be easy, for **either **of us." Azula says taking Aangs shoulder while he smiles toward his friend and fellow Avatar.

The three of them hear the similar horn like noise and turn to see the same lemur from before at the doorway. The lemur then hops his way over to Sokka, whom was in the room the entire time but never spoke up at all for some reason, and lays out an assortment of fruits and vegetables in front of him.

Out of instinct, he immediately begins to chow down on the food he is given.

"Looks like you made a new friend, Sokka." Aang says.

"Can't talk; must eat." Sokka responds with food in his mouth.

"Sokka's right." Azula says. "His brain needs all the energy it can get right now."

"Like I said, can't talk; must eat."

The lemur makes its way up on top of Aangs head. "Hey, little guy." He says happily.

* * *

"You, me and Appa." Aang says to the lemur with him perched on his arm and Appa by his side as they look at the Temple now far in the horizon. "We're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together. Guys, say hello to the newest member of our family."

"What are you gonna name him?" Katara asks.

The lemur then jumps from Aang's arm and grabs a moon peach from Sokkas hand just as he takes a bite and begins to quickly nibble on it.

"Momo." Aang answers.

Suddenly, Azula's pet Otter-Penguin Flip emerges from one of her pockets to see what was going on.

"Hey, I was wondering where he went" Aang says.

Momo then jumps from his arm as both animals look to each other with curiosity. Flip then walks over to the lemur and jumps onto him happily while Momo gladly pets the fuzzy bird.

"Aww! That's cute! They're friends already." Aang says with joy. "Oh yeah, Ooka, if you still want Momo as a pet.."

"Ya know Aang," Ooka begins to say. "After seeing you and him form a bond really quickly, I'm kind of okay with you owning him. Plus, he's more of a family member rather then just one person's pet. I'm sure I'll find a pet of my own someday."

"If Sokka doesn't try to **eat **him that is." Azula adds.

"You just never stop, do ya?" Sokka says in response.

"Well, she **is **kinda right." Katara says to him.

"**WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON!**" Sokka shouts frustrated.

"Okay," Aang says nervously. "Let's all just get on Appa and leave this place filled with happy memories and positive attitudes."

* * *

While Appa soars away from the Southern Air Temple towards their next destination, Aang and Momo look back at their home one last time before it disappears from sight behind the clouds.

**End of Ch 5. If you guys think I should lay off the jokes I put in the book and should make it more serious, let me know. And yes, I know I have Azula constantly torture Sokka, but that will only last until Toph joins up with the group at Book 2, at which point both of them will ****mercilessly wail on him. I will say Toph and Azula will be like sisters to each other in the next book but I'm getting ahead of myself. Next Ch, Aang and the gang visit Kyoshi Island and meet an interesting group of warriors while Aang and Azula let the fame of being the Avatar get to their heads. But when Zuko invades the village in an attempt to catch them, will they be able to defend it from destruction? Also, I read online that Momo, oddly enough, was originally meant to be Gyatso reincarnated. Does that sound interesting to you guys or not? Anyways, keep watching and I'll see you guys later. Donate for relief in Japan by going to Red Cross dot com, Adios! **


	7. Update

**Sorry about the long delay, i've been busy with a lot of stuff, just graduated a month ago and im working on 2 different projects besides this one, my focus right now is geared towards Out of the Blue, my Star Wars fanfiction. If you guys are interested in that kind of stuff, go there to keep you satisfied, if not, here's a sneak peek at part of the next ch.**

Chapter 6

Flaunting the Fans of Fame; The Warriors of Kyoshi

A black and star filled sky envelopes the atmosphere while Zuko's ship treads quickly through the rapid waters below them. The Prince sits alone in his chambers meditating with the only source of light in the room being three wax candles. The flames lit upon them expand and shrink with the patterns of his breath. The door creaks open as Iroh appears on the other side.

"The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar." Zuko quietly responds.

"Well there is news, Prince Zuko." Iroh begins to say to his nephew. "But you might not like it. Don't get too upset."

"Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now whatever you have to say, I'm sure I can take it."

"Okay then. We have no where they are."

Less then a second after these words, the flames near Zuko erupt in an explosive fiery discharge.

"WHAT?" Zuko yells in anger with his expression one of rage and frustration.

"Really should open a window in here." Iroh says while using a small red fan to cycle the air around him.

"Give me the map." Zuko says grabbing the piece of parchment from his uncle's hand and examining it thoroughly.

"There have been multiple sightings of the Avatar, but they are impossible to track down."

"How am I going to find them, Uncle?" Zuko says with worry while looking at the many places on the map marked where their targets have been sighted. "With Azula along with them, they are clearly masters of evasive maneuvering."

* * *

"You have **no idea **where you're going, do you?" Sokka asks Aang looking at a map of their current course.

"Well, I know it's near water." Aang responds.

The gang continues to speed through the air a few feet above the seemingly endless blue ocean.

"I guess we're gettin close then." Sokka says sarcasticly.

Aang looks up to see Katara trying to sow Sokka's pants back together.

"Momo, marbles please." He says to his furry companion on top of his shoulders. Momo the jumps into his shirt and comes out holding a pair of glass marbles which his places in Aang's hands.

"Hey Katara," He says to her. "Check out this Airbending trick." He then presents the two marbles being spun at incredibly fast speeds above his hand.

"That's great, Aang." Katara says not giving Aang the slightest of attention.

"You didn't even look."

"That's great." She says now facing him.

"But I'm not doing it now."

"Stop bugging her, Air Head." Sokka says to him "You need to give girls space when they do their sowing."

"What does me being a **girl **have to do with sowing?" Katara says now facing him with an irritated look.

"Yes, please elaborate on this **wise **topic." Azula says next to him also offended.

"Simple, girls are better at fixing pants then guys, and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things."

" Really? Then why am **I **a Firebending Prodigy who can beat your sorry butt in less then 10 seconds?" She says to him leaving him with a dumbstruck look on his face.

"Plus, what about legendary warriors like Avatar Tsuna who were **also **girls?" Ooka says joining in.

"Hey, Katara, are you almost done there?" Sokka says changing the subject.

"All done with your pants! And look what a **great **job I did." She says as she says tossing them at his face.

"Wait, I was just kidding! I can't wear these!" He says with his arm reaching through a hole in his pants. "Katara, please!"

"Wait, a minute." Azula says abruptly. "You mean to tell me, you've been wearing **no **pants this entire time?"

"Yeah. Is there a problem with that?"

"No Sokka, I'm completely fine sitting next to you while your half naked." She answers with sarcasm.

"Relax, guys." Aang says to them "Where we're going, we won't **need **any pants." Aang tuns the reins to the right as Appa follows his commands.


	8. Need to take a break

**Hello fellow Avatar fans (The first, not the Na'vi kind, though I like that one too). It pains me to say that I until further notice, cannot type anymore ch's of Air and Water. Now before you go off and remove me from your alerts, I'd like you to know that I have full intentions of finishing this fanfic along with the two others in the series. The reason why I'm taking a break at the moment is because I usually right ch's when I feel inspired or up to writing material about them, and sadly, at this moment, I just can't think of any right now. That, and I find it very difficult to work on three different fanfics at the same time. My focus at this moment is geared towards my Star Wars fanfic Out of the Blue, when I am finished with ch 14 of that, of whenever the first part of it is done, which should only take about 2 months or so, I will continue writing for Air and Water respectably, so please, PLEASE don't not leave just yet. **


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